The Cursebreaker's Sister
by Jives
Summary: When Bill Weasley does not return from a simple curse-breaking job, Ginny gets worried. Brushed off by her family as an over-concerned younger sister, Ginny sets off alone to find Bill, unaware of the dangers she'll encounter on the way.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter characters belong to JKRowling, I am just taking them out to play for a while and promise to put them back nicely when I'm done.

* * *

**The Curse-breaker's Sister**

**Prologue**  
Ea Nasir raised a skeletal hand and with the flick of a single finger, commanded his nearest servant to push a sand-filled basin towards him. When the heavy basin was finally in place, Nasir snapped his bony fingers and hot, blue flames burst out of the sand.

"Leave me," he croaked.

His servants scurried out of the room, afraid to move too slow and thus anger their master. The last servant to leave, a tall, well-muscled man, bowed formally to Ea Nasir before walking backwards out of the room and closing the door behind him. Nasir was alone, as he wanted to be when the important communication came through.

He didn't have to wait very long. Soon the blue flames started to crackle and change colour. A Goblin head appeared as the flames turned from blue to green.

"Mister Nasir, I bring you greetings from Gringotts." The crooked-nosed Goblin inclined his head slightly; just enough to indicate the respect that somebody of Ea Nasir's standing deserved.

"Never mind the salutations, Ripshank," Nasir said. "Tell me if you've had time to consider my offer."

"We have considered your offer, Nasir, and have decided to accept. We will meet your terms, if you will meet ours."

Nasir nodded. "So be it. Send your best curse-breaker to my Mesopotamian location." He waved his hand once, then twice over the basin. The flames went out instantly and Ripshank's pointy-head disappeared.

Ripshank cursed to himself in Gobbledegook. Once again, Nasir had cut short a conversation without clarifying what was going on. If it were any other client, the relationship would have been severed; Goblins did not tolerate being treated rudely. However, Ea Nasir was one of the richest and most powerful Treasure Collectors in the world. Entering into this contract with him would bring honour and prestige to Gringotts, not to mention the millions of Galleons they'd earn.

Nasir was also the head of an _'Old Boys Club_' type of Collectors Conglomerate. This job could be _it_, the one big contract that led to hundreds of others. No more small-time, curse-breaking jobs with minimal profit. Those could be left for the likes of Rare Reality Unlimited or better yet, he snickered to himself, Malfoy International.

Ripshank picked up what looked like a tin can attached to a long string and yelled into it. "Rugnuk, get me Bill Weasley!"

Ea Nasir sat alone in his chamber for a while longer. The rays from the setting sun streamed in through the arched windows creating pink-tinged shadows on the walls around him. If he listened carefully, he could hear the sounds of his servants and bodyguards moving around in his castle. He let his mind relax as he listened to his only female servant, Ninbanda, carefully categorising his latest acquisitions. His mind wandered further and for a while, hovered in the dungeons where Emsaf was breaking in his newest servants. Then he drifted in and out of sleep for several hours until Ninbanda woke him by calling to him quietly from the entranceway.

"Bill Weasley is here," she told him when he demanded to know why she was waking him from his slumber.

"Bring him to me." His voice was low-pitched and scratchy.

Ninbanda nodded, bowed several times and scuttled off to do her masters bidding. Alone, Ea Nasir smiled into the darkness, the papery skin around his mouth stretching into a gaping rictus of glee.

"The Staff of Lamaštu shall be mine." The harsh whisper of his words echoed throughout the empty chamber as Nasir sat in the darkness, waiting for his guest.


	2. The Cursebreaker's Sister

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter characters belong to JKRowling, I am just taking them out to play for a while and promise to put them back nicely when I'm done.

* * *

**The Curse-breaker's Sister**

**Chapter 1**  
Everything in Ginny's life right now came down to two things; Bill was missing and she was worried. The two concepts revolved around each other - ere intertwined in her mind as she once again tried to force Bill's boss, a pointy-faced Goblin named Ripshank, to tell her where he was. They told her nothing. Again. They asked her to leave. Again. She was dragged bodily out of the building. Now _that_ was new.

Bill had been missing for three months. For two of those months, his hand on the Weasley family clock had pointed at "Mortal Peril". This was a normal occurrence. Bill was, after all, a curse-breaker with Gringotts. He faced death and danger on a daily basis but never before had the hand pointed at "Mortal Peril" for so long.

Her parents had brushed her concerns aside in what Ginny thought was too casual of a manner. They were used to Bill's job and told her not to worry. If anything were wrong, surely Gringotts would have informed them. After making no progress with her parents, Ginny turned to Ron. He was an Auror with the Ministry and might have a better idea of what was going on. Ron had simply patted her on the head like she was still a First year at Hogwarts, told her not to worry, and shuffled her out of his flat before she could complain.

Hermione was no help either.

"We're not kids anymore, Ginny. We can't just drop everything and go on a rescue mission for somebody who might not even need rescuing. You know what Bill's job is like-"

"Yes I DO know what Bill's job is like! I am so sick and tired of everybody force-feeding me his job description over and over and over. I know his job is dangerous! But I am telling you this time it's different! He's not dead, or mum's clock would say so. It's been pointing to Mortal Peril for two months now and Gringotts is doing nothing about it!"

Hermione closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose; a sure sign of how stressed she was. "Ginny, I know you are his sister and I know you are worried! I'd be worried to, if my brother was-"

Ginny cut Hermione off again. "How do you know, Hermione? You don't have a brother!"

"Fine then. I know I'd be worried if Ron, Harry, or even you, Ginny, went missing like this. All I'm trying to say is exactly what Ron tried to tell you the other night-"

"How do you know what Ron tried to tell me? I haven't told you I went to see him. Fat lot of good it did me. He treated me like a child and sent me packing before I could get a word in edgewise."

Hermione's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "Well, ah, you see Gin, about Ron, yes. He, uh, well, he told me you'd been to see him, you see and…"

"You were there, weren't you!" Ginny's eyes widened in shock.

Hermione didn't reply, but turned a deeper shade of pink and developed an interest in one of the books on her coffee table.

"I always knew you two would get together at some point. Why didn't you say anything to me?"

Hermione put the book down and managed to look Ginny in the eye. "It's a bit awkward, to tell you the truth. His sister is my best friend; we weren't sure how you'd react. Especially after the way Harry reacted…"

"Does your new and improved relationship with my brother have anything to do with Harry's impromptu tour de France?"

"Yes, it does. But that's beside the point. We can talk about that later, right now, you are here to talk about Bill."

Ginny gave Hermione a clearly unimpressed look. "You're changing the subject."

"Yes, I am. Ginny, I know you are worried about Bill, but you really shouldn't be. And we'll have to talk about this later because I'm meeting Ron at The Snitch and Broomstick in fifteen minutes."

"I'll see you later, then," Ginny said glumly as she grabbed her cloak and stood up from the couch.

"Good-bye, Gin," Hermione said. "Oh, and Ginny? Don't do anything stupid? Okay? We'll get together this weekend and see if we can't sort this Bill thing out."

"Thanks, Hermione."

"Ron's not worried, Ginny, so you shouldn't worry either."

Ginny said nothing, just waved as she left Hermione's flat.

Over a period of forty-eight hours, Ginny had exhausted all her possibilities. Her parents were not worried enough to do anything. Harry was off in France somewhere, dealing with whatever it was he felt about his two best friends dating, Ron was very distracted by Hermione and Hermione, though she would never admit it, was distracted as well. Ginny was on her own.

In some ways, this was nothing new to Ginny. She was used to pursuing things on her own, had gotten used to it three years ago after leaving her husband-to-be at the altar. She'd been forced to make her own way, then. Find her own place to stay, find a job, but most importantly, find herself. Through it all, though, Bill had been there, backing her up. Whether it was a piece of advice or a couch to stay on before she found her own flat, he'd been there for her. And some nagging feeling inside her was telling her that it was time for her to be there for Bill.

Four months ago, Bill had visited her at her flat. Ginny had been working on a complicated piece of jewellery, a 4-tiered necklace with over 1000 tiny jade beads on each string. Normally she'd be annoyed by the interruption, her work demanded her undivided attention. It was Bill, though, her favourite brother. She invited him in for dinner, but he declined saying he was in a rush and could only stay long enough for a cup of tea and a quick conversation.

"I'm going to Mesopotamia, Gin'. I should be back in a month, two tops. I'll bring you back something pretty. How does an agate necklace from Ancient Sumer sound? "

Ginny smiled. "It sounds wonderful, Bill. But how about you bring me back the raw agate and I'll make the necklace myself?"

"You know I'll bring you back something to work with, Gin, I always do! I was talking about bringing you something for yourself. You deserve a treat every once and a while. You design all those wonderful necklaces and never keep any for yourself."

"The necklace sounds great, then. Are you sure you can't stay any longer?"

Bill shook his head. "Nope, in fact, if Ripshank finds out I've stopped here on my way, he'll have my head on a plate. This is a Top Priority job and I'm supposed to report to Mesopotamia immediately. The client's some persnickety guy, Nizir, something like that. Wants everything done yesterday. You know how the Treasure Collecting type is."

And Ginny did know the type. She'd heard all about them from Bill, even met a few of them when Bill was on local jobs. Pretentious, uppity, and old; the men who Bill was contracted to work for were carbon copies of each other. The treasure they wanted was always the most important piece of treasure in the world. They wanted their treasure and they wanted it yesterday, regardless of the curses, jinxes and hexes involved. Ginny tried to remember the name of one particular Treasure Collector but couldn't.

She was certain Bill had told her who he was working for but try as she might, the name eluded her. Gringotts claimed that telling her would breach their client's privacy. She had nothing to go on but a sister's intuition, which thus far, wasn't getting her anywhere.

Ginny rested her elbows on the coffee table and pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes. Her head was pounding, a headache caused by frustration and lack of sleep. Maybe that's what she needed, she thought to herself. A good night's sleep so she could wake up the next morning thinking clearly and with a fresh perspective.

Ginny glanced over at her lumpy, single bed with its broken springs and thought longingly of the queen-sized bed in Bill's guestroom. No matter how many times she transfigured her bed into something more comfortable, it always reverted to its uncomfortable form. Bill _had_ asked her to look after his house for him while he was gone…spending the night in his guestroom _could_ be considered an extreme form of housesitting.

She packed an over-night bag with clothes for the next day and as an after thought, tossed in a cantaloupe-sized chunk of amber that she was currently working with. She hadn't touched it since Bill had given it to her five months ago. She'd made several sketches, but having never worked with this material before, wasn't sure what it was going to end up being. Ginny half-heartedly hoped that working on it would distract her from worrying about Bill.

Ginny gave her flat a final once over, making sure all the doors and windows were locked and her plants were watered before Apparating to Bill's with a pop.


	3. The Cursebreaker

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter characters belong to JKRowling, I am just taking them out to play for a while and promise to put them back nicely when I'm done.

* * *

**  
The Curse-breaker's Sister**

**Chapter 2  
**_Three months earlier…_

Bill's meeting with Ea Nasir, a papery-skinned Treasure Collector, did not go as planned. The first signs of tension arose before Bill had even walked into the torch-lit antechamber. He was being led through a palace of some sort, twisting and turning through sandy coloured corridors. Everything was of the same colour, every hallway looked like the previous one. He swore he'd been down this one particular staircase three times now. Bill knew there was no way he'd be able to find his way back out again, especially after the lady leading him around- she refused to tell him her name- told him that the castle was covered with Anti-Apparition charms.

The bad vibe intensified upon entering the antechamber, the lady, whom a wrinkly old man called Ninbanda, announced his presence and then left the room quickly. Bill couldn't help but watch her leave, mesmerized by the subtle sway of her hips as she walked away. The silky, white toga she wore left little to the imagination. Therefore, it was with a smile of hearty, male appreciation on his face that he first greeted Ea Nasir. Nasir was not impressed. The look he gave Bill sent shots of ice through his heart and down his pants, instantly quelling any and all fantasies that might have been brewing.

"You are Bill Weasley?" Nasir asked.

"Yes sir, I am. With Gringotts. Nice to meet you, sir." Bill approached the old man while talking and reached out to shake his hand.

Ea Nasir remained seated in his throne-like chair. After a few moments, Bill lowered his hand to his side, feeling a bit abashed. Nasir stretched a crooked finger and pointed to a cloth-wrapped package on the table beside him. Bill reached for the parcel and unwrapped it. Nasir sat back and watched.

"This can't be…" whispered Bill. He looked up at Nasir, his eyes full of disbelief. "It is, isn't it?"

Nasir nodded. "The Plaque of Poseidon, the Anbar of Atlantis, whatever you wish to call it. Go on, examine it, I can see the desire to do so in your eyes."

"A plaque of amber, shining gold, that is not hot and is not cold…" Bill whispered while running his hands reverently over the smooth surfaces.

In his hands was a rectangular block of amber that shimmered like gold in the torch light. It had handles on all four sides that were carved with intricate symbols Bill didn't recognize. It was hard to tell which side was meant to be the top. One side contained icons depicting merpeople and goat-fish swimming together in a golden ocean. The other side was inscribed with cuneiform. It took Bill a few minutes to translate it, as it was a form of cuneiform he had never encountered before. Fortunately, it was similar enough to the Akkadian forms of cuneiform he'd studied in the past and he soon figured it out.

"How did you find this?" he asked incredulously. "No, wait." He shook his head no. "Don't tell me, I don't want to know."

"That is wise, Bill Weasley, very wise indeed. I see you have translated the cuneiform."

Bill nodded. "It looks like a variation of the symbols used in Ancient Sumer, less complex then the Akkadian script, for sure." Bill remembered whom he was talking to and added sheepishly, "I'm sure you already knew that, sir."

"Indeed. Translated and extrapolated where you need to go and what you need to do when you get there. As you can see, I am in no shape to get the treasure myself." Ea Nasir spoke the truth. He was a wrinkled, wizened old man with sallow, yellow skin stretched over a skeletal looking face. His wide, brown eyes were set behind lids that rarely blinked.

"Treasure?" Bill asked, one eyebrow raised, as it often was when he was puzzled about something. His interpretation of the inscription had contained an incantation and instructions on how to raise the once thought to be lost Island of Atlantis. It mentioned nothing about treasure.

Nasir nodded his head slowly up and down. "Yes, treasure. I am tired. EMSAF!" His voice was surprisingly loud for a being so frail. "Emsaf will give you the instructions and the things you require to get the treasure for me. Leave me."

Emsaf had appeared at the door. It was the same muscular man who had originally met Bill in Mesopotamia.

"But sir..." Bill began.

"I said leave me, boy. Do not return until you bring me my treasure."

Emsaf advanced on Bill, the large muscles in his legs flexing as he walked. He was not somebody Bill fancied messing with. Bill left quietly, still confused as to what was going on. He tried to ask Emsaf, but the man was silent. He led Bill to another torch-lit room and left him there.

What seemed like hours later, Ninbanda appeared. She was carrying the Anbar of Atlantis as well as several scrolls of parchment.

"My master says that you can keep the tablet, as gratitude for a job well done. My master has never met another person who can translate cuneiform script as quickly and effortlessly as you had and believes you deserve to keep the Anbar of Atlantis."

Bill looked at Ninbanda in awe. "You can't be serious, besides, payment has already been agreed upon. In fact, I have the contracts with me now, they have to be signed before I…"

Ninbanda snapped her fingers. A flash of green light temporarily blinded Bill and when his vision was restored, the contractual agreements he'd brought with him from Gringotts were resting on the table in front of him. They were signed in Ea Nasir's spidery script.

She pushed a canvas bag across the table. "In here are your instructions and money for necessities along the way. You are not to work for any other Treasure Collector while you are contractually bound to my master, you are not to take any of the treasure for yourself and you are not to return empty handed."

With that, Ninbanda turned and left Bill. He was alone in the room with the amber tablet, his Gringotts contracts, and the bag of instructions from his latest boss. Emsaf returned. The burly man beckoned Bill to follow him and he was lead through the labyrinth of corridors once more. Emsaf said nothing to him, finally leaving him alone in the courtyard.

"Wow," Bill thought to himself while tucking a stray lock of long, red hair behind his ear. "These people are hard work."

He left the courtyard, sensing he was outside the castle boundaries by the lack of the oppressive Anti-Apparition charms in the air. He Disapparated, appearing moments later in a dark alleyway in Ur, a place he had been in the past. He had originally planned to go after the treasure right away but had decided otherwise after meeting Ea Nasir. Instead, he'd take the evening to go over his contracts and the instructions from Nasir and get a fresh start in the morning.

* * *

The rhyme said by Bill, "Amber, the shining gold, that is not hot and is not cold…" is a quote from Gary Platt, an amber expert. 


	4. The Staff of Lamaštu

**Disclaimer:**

Harry Potter characters belong to JKRowling, I am just taking them out to play for a while and promise to put them back nicely when I'm done.

* * *

**The Curse-breaker's Sister  
Chapter Three**

The sun woke Ginny up as it slowly crept through her window, with a stray beam of light flitting over her eyelids. She sat up slowly and stretched like a cat after a particularly refreshing nap. She was a little disoriented at first, not quite sure why she was waking up to her current level of comfort but then she remembered coming to Bill's the night before.

"Oh, Bill," Ginny whispered to herself. "Where are you?"

There was no answer other than the birds' singing outside her window. Ginny climbed out of the giant bed and slid her feet into her slippers before heading downstairs for breakfast. She was slicing strawberries to put in her porridge when an insistent tapping on the kitchen window interrupted her.

Ginny looked up at a snowy, white owl vaguely reminding her of Hedwig, trying to get her attention. She opened the window for the owl, which had flown away from the window before soaring into the kitchen. It dropped a large, fabric wrapped parcel on Bill's kitchen table and then sat on the back of a chair, catching its breath.

Ginny could see the feathers on the bird's chest flutter up and down as the owl breathed. Judging by the state of the bird, and the loud **THUNK** she'd heard when the parcel was deposited on the table, it was something big and heavy. She offered the owl some strawberry slices and then sat down to examine the parcel.

It was addressed to Bill. Ginny turned the parcel over to see who had sent it and noticed that it was from Bill as well.

"That's odd," she mused. "Why would Bill be sending himself a parcel?"

The owl hopped over to Ginny and extended its leg. There was a roll of parchment tied to it. Without thinking, Ginny untied the parchment and unfolded it. It was a message from the Owlery in Diagon Alley informing Bill that his parcel had been undeliverable for three months. After the end of the month, they would no longer try to deliver it to him, but keep it available at the Owlery for him to pick it up.

Ginny thanked the owl, and taking another strawberry slice in its beak, it flew off out the window. Ginny went back to the parcel and contemplated opening it. It wasn't her mail to open. She'd already violated Bill's privacy by opening the scroll. However, something here didn't add up. Bill had addressed the parcel to himself and that was not normal behaviour. That, coupled with his three-month absence prompted Ginny to open it.

Using her wand, she checked for any Curses or Charms that may have been placed on the package and surprisingly, she found one. It was harmless – provided that you were a Weasley. Bill had charmed the parcel with a variation of the Weasley Wrap Charm, a Fred, and George invention. The Weasley Wrap Charm originally prevented snooping siblings from reading the twins' mail. Realizing its usefulness, they'd adapted it to apply to non-Weasley family members. If you weren't a Weasley, tiny bolts of lightning would zap your hands when you tried to open the letter. The more you tried, the more painful the zaps became.

Luckily, Ginny was a Weasley and in no danger of being struck by tiny bolts of lightning when she opened the parcel. She unwrapped the dull, khaki fabric, rubbing the material between her thumb and forefinger. It felt like robe material, and when she held the piece of fabric up in front of her, her suspicions were confirmed. It was the bottom half of a set of robes, hemmed neatly on the bottom, but frayed at the top where it had been ripped away from the rest of the outfit. Hidden between the layers of fabric was a shiny, golden tablet.

Ginny recognized the tablet as amber immediately. She ran her hands over the polished surface; it felt smooth to the touch. She traced some of the intricate carvings with her fingers, wondering what the geometric symbols stood for. Turning it over, Ginny discovered more carvings depicting a mermaid and what looked like some sort of a half-goat half-fish creature. She placed the tablet on the table and searched the wrapping for some sort of note from Bill.

There was nothing.

"Strange," Ginny mused. "No note, only a Weasley can open it and sent to himself. Something does not add up here."

Ginny studied the tablet once more, this time looking closely at the triangular symbols that decorated the one side. They were completely foreign to her. She thought perhaps it was some sort of a written language, but not one she'd seen before. Maybe Bill had a book on this somewhere.

Several hours later, Ginny was still sifting through the books in Bill's extensive home library. She'd found nothing of interest, only outdated copies of_ History of Archaeology,_ and a few old love letters tucked between two old books. Exasperated, frustrated and generally not happy, Ginny took a break and went back to the breakfast she'd forgotten to eat. Her porridge was cold and lumpy and a few flies had discovered the leftover strawberry slices. She magicked the mess away and used her wand to boil the kettle for tea.

While Ginny was sitting back, enjoying a cup of tea, not everybody else was as lucky. Draco Malfoy would have gladly chopped off his right arm for a cup of tea at this moment, for a drop of tea, even. His lips were chapped, his mouth parched and his tongue was swollen and dry.

He tried to sit up but quickly fell back down onto the sand as a rush of blood to his head made him dizzy. Draco carefully lifted a hand to his head, wincing when he discovered a lump the size of his fist protruding from his forehead. He struggled to remember how he had come by the injury. His memory was blank at first, but then the previous night's events slowly came back to him…

Draco had met with Bill Weasley at _Ninurtas Plough_, a public house in outer Ur. They had met there before on business; Draco on behalf of his company, Malfoy International and Bill as a Gringotts representative. Gringotts had realized that they could make a lot more money if Bill was on the job all the time. It was a waste of time and Galleons to have him shuttling found treasure back to Gringotts or delivering it to the client. That's where Draco came in.

Draco, or a Malfoy International representative, would meet Bill out in the field, take over the care for whatever treasure he had found and deliver it to Gringotts allowing Bill to immediately move on to his next job. This system had worked for both of them until last night.

Draco could remember signing off on Bill's latest discovery, a golden staff, four feet long and tipped with a smooth, circular lump of amber. The staff itself was plain. Braided threads of silver crisscrossed the bottom half of it creating a grid of silver and gold. Bill had polished the staff and the stone on the top of it burned in the torchlight...

"The staff!"

Draco sat up suddenly and rocketed onto his knees. It was dark out, wherever he was; the only light was from the few stars in sky. He started crawling around on his hands and knees searching for the staff.

He searched for what felt like hours, his head was aching and every once and a while the wound would send a fresh stream of blood into his eyes. In the end, Draco's search was futile. The staff was gone.

Draco sat down, leaning against a giant rock. Details of the night before washed over him. He'd met with Bill, taken the staff and started on his way to Ea Nasir's mansion, following Bill's directions. Some sort of magic surrounding the staff had prevented him from Apparating or from using a portkey. Draco had been on his broom.

He remembered flying by the light of the moon when suddenly something flew between him and the night sky, blocking all light from above. Then he'd been ambushed…and the next thing he remembered was waking up out in the Mesopotamian desert, battered, bruised, and dispossessed of both the staff and his broom.

The sun was appearing on the horizon turning the distant mountains deep purple in colour. He'd been searching for the staff all night.

"Bloody hell," he cursed to himself. "This is hopeless."

Even though cross-country Apparition was illegal, and he was in no shape to Apparate even ten feet away, Draco Apparated home with a quiet pop. He Disapparated to his bedroom, arriving a few feet from his bed. Collapsing onto the mattress, shoes on, blonde hair matted and bloody, he promptly fell asleep.


	5. Research

**Disclaimer:**

Harry Potter characters belong to JKRowling, I am just taking them out to play for a while and promise to put them back nicely when I'm done.

* * *

**The Curse-breaker's Sister  
Chapter Four**

Ginny, having decided that searching through Bill's library was a waste of time had moved on to the _Francis Bacon Athenaeum- _a library in Diagon Alley. It was properly indexed and the witches and wizards on staff would be able to point her in the right direction. Unfortunately, it was also frequented by pretentious and uppity wizards who thought themselves above the regular library. Ginny felt it was worth risking a few snide looks down noses to go there. Anything was better then Bill's precariously stacked and poorly sorted collection.

She arrived at the Athenaeum in the middle of a tour.

"And over here," the guide said in a pompous voice, "we have a statue of Francis Bacon carved out of exactly that! This bacon based effigy has been charmed to keep its shape permanently…"

"Wish they'd done a charm for the smell," Ginny heard a dark-haired wizard mumble to his wife.

She wandered away from the tour group and over to the main information desk. There, a witch in Athenaeum uniform led Ginny into a room off the main hallway.

"There you go, Miss. Everything we have on different languages is in this room- from New Sumerian to Modern English. If you have any questions, come and get me… If you'll excuse me…" The librarian ran off to rescue a pile of fallen books. Ginny could hear her berating the offending patron from across the hall.

"I guess I'm on my own," she sighed and then surveyed her surroundings.

She was in a large, airy room with walls that seemed to stretch upward indefinitely. Ladders that led to upper level balconies were placed at regular intervals and the space was lit by sunlight streaming in through a window near the ceiling. A few other people were seated at tables but none of them took notice of her arrival.

There was so much information crammed into the room that Ginny didn't know where to begin. The librarian had written out a list of books that might be helpful. Rather then searching the shelves, she summoned them to her with a simple _Accio_ spell and sat down to read.

_Cuneiform for Cretins_ was no help. Neither was _The Art of Ancient Akkadian_. At the end of an afternoon of non-stop reading, Ginny was left frustrated and covered in dust. Why she thought this library would be better maintained then Bill's was beyond her. As if sensing her frustration, the librarian whisked back into the room.

"How are you doing, dear? I'm sorry I didn't get back sooner. Today has been simply awful. Unruly patrons, children running around unattended! The scholars are livid. I assure you, it's not normally like this!"

"I'm sorry you're having a bad day," said Ginny, trying to sound sympathetic. "I'm not having much luck myself. I've looked through at least twenty different books and countless scrolls," Ginny looked guiltily at the pile of parchment waiting to be re-shelved, "but no luck. I don't have enough time to learn how to translate cuneiform. I need to know what it says now!"

"Well then," said the librarian, "Had you said you needed something translated, I would have referred you to the Scholar Center on the fourth floor. They have a bulletin board where you can place ads for things like that. We have all sorts of Obscure Language Translators here."

Ginny sighed, trying to keep her anger and frustration from showing on her face. "How do I get to the fourth floor?" she asked.

"The stairs are out by the main entrance, if you hurry, you would still have time to post an ad before they close for the day."

"Thanks!" Ginny called out as she ran for the main entrance.

"No running in the Athenaeum!"

Ginny ignored the librarian's plea as she scrambled up the steps to the fourth floor. Not for the first time did she wish that wizards had some sort of equivalent for the Muggle escalators. She'd been on once, on a trip with Harry in London.

She managed to make it to the front desk in time and wrote an ad for an 'Ancient Akkadian Cuneiform Expert', for that is what the man at the front desk said she needed when she showed him the tablet. Ginny experienced a mild pang of reluctance at taking the piece of amber out of her bag, but realized it was necessary in order to get the kind of help she needed. The gentleman at the desk had informed her that if she didn't hear from anybody within the next two weeks she should come in and renew the ad or consider placing it internationally.

Ginny left the Athenaeum feeling slightly better about the situation but wishing there was more that she could do beyond sitting at home and waiting. She was so caught up in thoughts of finding Bill and hoping somebody could help her that she didn't notice she was being watched.

He'd been watching her all morning. Draco first noticed her vivid, red hair. Just as long and just as bright as it had been when they went to school together. Bill's hair was the same color. That, of course, reminded him of when he'd last seen Bill and of why he was at the Athenaeum in the first place.

Draco had been set up. Framed. For the disappearance of a rare item of historical significance and the disappearance of one Bill Weasley. He had returned to the Malfoy Manor injured and confused. Upon waking up, still clothed in his dusty, khaki work robes, Draco had found a house-elf hovering over him, ringing its hands, and biting its lip.

"What do you want?" he had asked groggily.

"I is sorry to disturb you, master, but they is here for you The Goblins is! They say you did bad things, master, bad things!"

"What are you talking about?" Draco had asked now fully awake, the mention of the Goblins had made him sit straight up in bed.

"They is here! Now! Master must hide!"

"Thank you, Hodgey."

Draco had heard muffled voices speaking Gobbledegook in the hallway and had hurriedly stuffed a few necessities into a canvas backpack. He'd then taken a Portkey to his secondary residence- a cottage only he knew existed. He hadn't wanted to Apparate and thus leave a trail to where he was going.

It had become clear to him that nobody would believe his ambush story, not if Goblins were after him. Why should they believe him? He was, after all, a Malfoy. The Era of Voldemort was still recent history and so were the atrocious acts the Malfoy Family had committed. The fact that Draco did not participate in these acts and had been cleared by the Ministry meant nothing. That Dumbledore vouched for him meant even less. People were still quick to think the worst of him.

It didn't seem to matter that he tried very hard to be everything a Malfoy wasn't. He worked hard for a living, donated time and Galleons to charity, tried to make a new name for himself with Malfoy International. All of it was in vain.

Hodgey had sent Draco a badly written message informing him that the Goblins believed he had stolen the Staff of Lamaštu (or has Hodgey had so eloquently called it, "The Llama Staff") and done something to hurt Bill Weasley. Draco knew that as his house-elf Hodgey could not tell the Goblins where he was so for the time being he was safe. He couldn't hide out forever though, and that's why he had cast a Glamour Spell on himself and gone to the Athenaeum.

The staff wasn't taken from him randomly, it was obviously more important then he was led to believe. If he could find out more about it he might learn why it was stolen or who had stolen it. If he could find out the thief, he might be able to find Bill and clear his name.

Draco pushed a long, greasy lock of black hair away from his eyes and cursed himself for casting a Glamour Spell that involved such bad hair. With the hair out of his eyes he could see Ginny Weasley leave the Athenaeum, apparently lost in thought. She'd been oblivious to all but the books she'd been reading. She hadn't noticed him watching her from the balcony above. She hadn't even noticed him follow her up to the fourth floor.

At first he was willing to write off Ginny's interest in Obscure Languages as coincidence. Then he'd looked at the pile of books she'd placed in the return pile- _Cuneiform for Cretins_, _Learning to Love Geometric Scripts_, _Everything You Wanted To Know About Sumerian Scripture But Were Afraid To Ask_; Ginny was looking for information on cuneiform, there was no coincidence about that. Draco knew that Ginny had the Plaque of Poseidon. Or had at least she had heard about it.

He contemplated approaching her while pretending to read a book on the origins of English but she'd taken off at a run. He'd followed her to the fourth floor and watched from behind a statue while she talked with a scholar and pinned something to a nearby bulletin board. When she left and the scholar manning the front desk was not looking, he walked over to the board, read her ad, and tore it down.

"Wanted- one Ancient Akkadian Cuneiform Expert for light translation work. Contact Ginny Weasley via Owl or leave message at front desk."

He sent an Owl that evening signing it "M" to be safe. He'd read the Daily Prophet and winced at the unflattering picture of himself on the front page. There was an accompanying three-page story written by Lavender Brown which talked more about his behavior at Hogwarts then it did about why he was now a wanted criminal. If Ginny had seen that article, there was no way she'd reply to his Owl.

Draco also knew that Ginny wouldn't know of the new and somewhat improved Draco Malfoy. Like Lavender, her perceptions of him would be based solely on childhood experiences. Oh, they'd encountered each other during the war, but like everybody else she'd been wary of him and unsure of his loyalties. No, it was better to play it safe for now and explain everything later.


	6. The Mysterious M

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter characters belong to JKRowling, I am just taking them out to play for a while and promise to put them back nicely when I'm done.

* * *

**The Curse-breaker's Sister**  
**Chapter Five**

Ginny pushed open the crooked, wooden door to _The Snitch and Broomstick_ and walked inside. She was barely inside when the bartender called out a friendly welcome.

"Why, Ginevra Weasley, I've not seen you in years! How are you doing? Can I get you the usual?"

Ginny smiled brightly at Eloise and waved. "No thanks, Eloise. Just a glass of pumpkin juice."

Eloise was a middle-aged witch with artfully draped robes that left little to the imagination. Ginny had met her five years ago on a cold, rainy night; the same night she met Hugh, her former fiancé for the first time. A memory of Hugh's snarling face and bitter blue eyes rose unbidden into her head. She managed to push it away and refocus on what Eloise was saying to her.

"…this way, missy. I've been wondering when I'd see you again. Come sit over here. Your regular table is available!"

"If you don't mind, Elly, I'd rather not sit there."

Eloise turned slightly to face Ginny and looked straight into her eyes. "Oh, yes. My bad, dear. I should have…well… I should never have suggested you to sit there. How about," Eloise scanned the restaurant for an empty table, "that booth in the corner?"

The booth in question was perfect. It was in an area with very few tables and was sunk into the wall. Ginny would be able to sit back in the booth and watch everybody who entered or exited the pub though they would not be able to see her.

"It's perfect."

Eloise smiled. "I'll bring you a menu, dear. You get settled."

Ginny sat back in the farthest corner of the booth. From her position, she could see everyone in the bar, though there weren't that many patrons this early in the afternoon. She was meeting somebody who could apparently translate the amber tablet she'd found at Bill's house a few days earlier. She didn't know who they were or even if they were male or female. They had corresponded back and forth, making arrangements and every scroll the owl brought her was signed only 'M'.

Eloise brought Ginny a pitcher of pumpkin juice and a menu and instructed her to wave when she'd decided on her order. Ginny sat back sipping her juice and watched as two witches came giggling into the pub. They met up with two rather attractive wizards at the bar and Ginny smiled as she watched the flirty conversation taking place between them.

Ginny checked her watch. It was 2:30. She was still thirty minutes early for her appointment. She flicked through the menu, though she wasn't hungry enough to order, and kept an eye on the door. At 2:45 Ginny watched as Draco Malfoy walked into the pub and furtively looked around. When Eloise started to approach him he waved her away and walked straight to where Ginny was sitting.

He hung his cloak up on a hook outside the booth and sat down across from Ginny.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence Ginny spoke up, "I'm sorry, Malfoy, but that seat is taken."

"Yes, it is taken. By me." He smiled at her, a hint of his trademark childhood sneer on his face.

"I'm meeting somebody here, Malfoy, so if you'd do us both a favor and leave?"

"Afraid I can't do that, Weasley."

Ginny gritted her teeth together to keep from exploding in anger in front of him. "And why is that?"

Draco sighed before speaking. "Will you ever accept the fact that I am not the spoiled, snotty brat that I was at Hogwarts and that I might actually be a nice person worth giving a second chance? I would have thought that after everything that happened during _The Second War_ that people would realize I've changed."

"I'm sorry, Draco," Ginny said. "You're right, and I'm sorry. But now really isn't a good time for me to play 'catching up' with you and to be honest, we never were good friends to begin with even though we both fought on the same side. So if you'll excuse me...?" Ginny stood up to leave, having decided to find another booth to sit in.

Draco's hand shot out from the folds of his robes and grabbed Ginny's wrist before she was completely out of the booth. "Ginny, I'm M."

Ginny stared blankly at him for a moment. "I beg your pardon?" she finally asked.

"I'm M. I sent you those owls."

Ginny blinked a few times before sliding back into the booth and sitting back in her spot. Draco's hand was still clutching her wrist and she pulled her arm away from him.

"I don't understand."

"Really, Ginny. Had I signed those owls "Love, Draco Malfoy" you would never have responded. Right?"

It didn't take much thought. Ginny knew the answer. True, Draco had redeemed himself during _The Second War_, turning double agent like Snape, and then after his cover was blown had fought valiantly on the battlefield taking down as many Death Eaters as he could. He'd even worked with Bill once, to save Ginny from a tree that had been charmed to crush anyone that walked past with its hulking branches. Despite all that, she would not have trusted him, would not have replied to his owls.

"Okay, you're right," she told him.

There was an uncomfortable silence when neither of them knew what to say next. Eloise rescued them from the awkward moment by bustling over with a drink for Draco and asked Ginny what she'd like to order.

For a moment Ginny slipped back to her old self and looked at Draco as if she expected him to tell her what to get. Draco was confused for a moment at the obedient and querying look on her face, but it was gone a few seconds after it had appeared.

Draco ordered first, his usual three-course meal.

"I'll start with the Triple Decker Marshmallow Delight," Ginny informed Eloise, a bright smile lighting up her face.

"Sounds wonderful, dear," Eloise grinned back. "An excellent starter!"

"Ice cream? For dinner?" Draco asked after Eloise had bustled off to get their food.

"Well," said Ginny happily, "why not? It's about time I order what I want at this place."

Draco, having no clue what she was talking about, smiled politely. Ginny poured herself another glass of pumpkin juice.

"Why do you need an Akkadian translator?" asked Draco. "For a new art project?"

"You know about my art work?" Surprise was apparent in Ginny's voice.

"Yes, I've even been to a few of your shows. The emerald piece you did for the Burberry show last year was amazing. It was so simple, just a pendant really, yet so elegant all the same."

Ginny smiled. The Burberry Amulet had been one of her favorite pieces. "It may have looked simple but the chain took me almost a year to braid, even using magic. But no, that's not why I need a translator."

Draco nodded slowly. He had to play his cards right. Ginny must not discover that he already knew why she needed a translator. Eloise arrived and arranged their dinner on the table. She stuck two forks in Ginny's ice cream entrée, winked saucily at her, and sauntered off to serve the next customer.

"What do you need translated, then?" Draco asked after a few bites of salad.

Ginny swallowed her ice cream before answering. She looked around the restaurant, her brown eyes dancing over the faces of everyone in the room. She turned back to Draco and shook her head. He looked at her quizzically.

"We can't talk about it here," she said quietly.

Draco's heart started pounding a loud, staccato beat. It felt as if any minute now his heart would explode out of his chest and land inside Ginny's bowl of melting ice cream. Ginny looked afraid, almost nervous. His worst fears were confirmed. Ginny knew something was wrong with Bill. Ginny knew the amber tablet had something to do with it. This was not a random coincidence; it was very, very real.

They finished their meal quickly but not before Draco had to use the second fork to help Ginny finish the Marshmallow Delight. Much to Ginny's dismay, Draco insisted on paying the bill. Eloise laughed at her feeble protests and sent them on their way with a doggie bag full of treats for later.

"Where to now?" asked Draco. They were standing outside _The Snitch and Broomstick_.

"I've been staying at Bill's," said Ginny. "It's safe there."

"Shall we Apparate, then?"

"Yes, but you haven't been there. Have you?"

Draco shook his head no.

"Give me your hand, then," Ginny said. "I'll lead." Leading meant that they would both Apparate together, but Ginny would provide the magical thrust needed to make sure they both ended up at the right location.

Ginny put her hand out as if they were going to shake hands.

Draco took her tiny hand in his. "It works better if we stand closer together," he said, pulling her towards him. He wrapped his other arm around her waist. "I don't want to get splinched!" He was looking down at her now and was shocked to discover how beautiful she looked. Pale white skin, dusted with freckles and framed with a red fringe.

She stared at him for a moment and then looked away. Draco saw a hint of pink tinge her cheeks. He was going to tease her about being shy but then they arrived at what Draco assumed to be Bill's place and the moment was lost.

"Make yourself at home," Ginny said, gesturing to the cloak stand and Bill's giant, leather couch. "I'm just going to reset the wards." She walked into another room leaving Draco alone.

Draco hung his cloak up on the stand and made himself comfortable on the couch. He noticed a charcoal sketch on the coffee table and picked it up to get a closer look. Pushing a blonde lock of hair out of his eyes, he studied the paper. It was a to-scale drawing of the Plaque of Poseidon; the same Plaque Bill had shown him over a few drinks in Mesopotamia.

Ginny walked back in with a teapot and two mugs floating along beside her. "Ahhh, I see you've found it."

Draco looked up. "This is what you need translated?" he asked, though the answer was obvious.

Ginny nodded. "There are some icons as well. I haven't sketched them yet. I found a few of them in Bill's books but I'm not sure if I have the meanings right."

"What do you need this translated for?" Draco asked. It was hard to keep his voice steady and his heart was beating double-time once again.

There was a moment of oppressing silence in which Ginny looked at Draco directly in the eyes, as if she was measuring up his soul. She sat down on the couch beside him, the teapot, and cups clattering to the coffee table as she did so.

"IthinksomethingshappenedtoBill." The words fled her mouth all jumbled together.

"Beg pardon?"

"Bill, my brother. I think something has happened to him. And nobody believes me! His hand on the family clock has pointed to Mortal Peril for months now. Gringotts tells me nothing and Ron and Hermione are too busy discovering each other to help me out."

"Hand on clock?" Draco asked, puzzled. "Ron and Hermione?"

Ginny snorted. "As if we all didn't see _that _one happening," she said. "Everything's pointed to them since day one." She paused for a moment, and then remembered their real purpose. "But that doesn't matter! Bill is what matters. I've got to find him and these inscriptions are the only clues I have."

"Ginny, calm down. Here, drink some tea." He handed her one of the steaming cups off the coffee table. "Start from the beginning, and tell me everything."

Ginny launched into her story, a little reluctantly at first. Draco made sure to keep her well supplied with tea, which with a tap of his wand had been added with a healthy shot of brandy. After two cups, Ginny became more relaxed. The words flowed out of her mouth and she was very open with Draco about everything. He felt a bit guilty, liquoring her up like this, but he had to find out how much she knew.

She didn't know a lot.

Draco nodded, smiled, made sympathetic noises, and occasionally patted her on the hand when she was really worked up. Drained by the telling of her tale, Ginny sat back on the couch, clutching her teacup between both hands.

"Well, it's definitely not light translation work," Draco began, speaking for the first time in half an hour, "but I'll help you."

Ginny looked flabbergasted. "You will?"

"Of course I will, Gin. Who else do you know that can translate cuneiform? Besides, didn't you tell me that your friends were too engrossed in their own lives to help you?"

Ginny laughed. "When you say it that way, it sounds mean!"

"Whether it's mean, or true doesn't matter. Now, let's get started, shall we?"


	7. Draco Malfoy, Reluctant Hero

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter characters belong to JKRowling, I am just taking them out to play for a while and promise to put them back nicely when I'm done.

* * *

**The Curse-breaker's Sister  
Chapter 6**

Ron Weasley- Auror, boyfriend, and brother- sat back in his chair, feet propped up on his desk, thinking about what to do next. He was plucking his bottom lip, as he often did during moments of indecision, and contemplating the latest information that had ended up in his office.

The brief was short and to the point.

Attn: Ron Weasley

Re: Malfoy, Draco; Nasir, Ea; Weasley, Ginevra; Weasley, William

Agents report last contact between Nasir and Bill on March 25th. Bill left Nasir's premises late evening. Completed job one month later. Met Malfoy on the 26th. Bill and treasure in question missing the next day. Malfoy was traced back to England. Has since disappeared.

Ginny has visited Gringotts four times in past two months; Ripshank reports she is barred from building unless for personal banking. Has been sighted at the Athenaeum and is presently staying at Bill's residence.

Nasir is a dangerous man. Suggest ending Ginny's crusade before she gets herself hurt. Nasir is not known to tolerate fools – or the younger siblings of men who are believed to have stolen his treasure.

Ron knew Ginny had been snooping around, trying to discover what was up with Bill, but he had no idea she had been barred from Gringotts. He sighed loudly and wished he hadn't been so pre-occupied with Hermione these past couple of months. It had been quite the shock when Ron discovered Hermione was a girl, but not nearly as shocking as when he'd discovered Hermione was a woman!

_Get it together mate_, Ron thought to himself, _you are supposed to be figuring out what to do _with_ Ginny, not what you want to do _to_ Hermione. _

Ron pondered the situation a few minutes longer. He now had confirmation that Bill was not only missing, but also one of two suspects in the disappearance of some ancient staff of something. That's where the Ea Nasir guy came in. Why Ginny was meddling with this was beyond Ron. He obviously should have listened more closely to what she was saying the other night. He'd rectify that situation now.

He got up from behind his desk and walked over to his fireplace. There was a pot of floo powder on the hearth beside the grate. Ron threw a pinch of it into the fire and yelled, "Ginny Weasley!" before sticking his head into the green flames.

A few moments later Ron's head showed up in the fireplace inside Bill's study. Ron looked around and saw Ginny sitting in a chair nearby. She was studying a piece of paper.

"Ginny!" he called out, scaring her in the process. "Got a minute?"

"Oh, Ron. Hi," Ginny said. Ron thought he detected a trace of nervousness in her voice. "I'm a bit busy at the moment, maybe we could talk later."

"This can't wait, Gin," Ron said in what he hoped was a firm, brotherly voice. "We need to talk about this Gringotts business. I thought I told you to stay out of it."

"Well, I-"

"I'm an Auror, Ginny, I know you've been poking about, contacting Gringotts and trying to find Bill. I'm glad that you're worried about him but, Gin, you've got to back off! His client is in the big leagues and truth be told, Bill's in a little bit of trouble for not getting some treasure back."

Ginny stood in front of the fireplace, her arms crossed defensively across her chest and with a look of disgust on her face. "Been hanging around Percy lately, Ron? You sound just like him."

"Ginny, I don't mean it like that…"

Draco stood just beyond Ron's range of vision. From where he was standing, he could hear everything Ron said, yet unless Ginny mentioned something, Ron would have no clue that Draco was even in the room. He listened to the sibling bickering, picking out bits of pertinent information where he could. A wave of relief washed through him when he discovered that he wasn't the only suspect in the theft of the Staff of Lamaštu. That Ron didn't mention his name in connection to any of this was also a relief. His cover with Ginny would not be blown.

"…And what the bloody hell are you doing at Bill's house, anyway? Pack up and go home today, Ginny! And stay out of this! It's not your business." Ron's head disappeared from the flames.

"Stupid git!" Ginny exclaimed, stomping her foot in anger.

Draco couldn't help but grin at her. She looked so angry, so indignant, standing there with her hands on her hips. "That didn't go over very well, did it?"

Ginny walked over to the couch and collapsed against its comfortable cushions. "For Ron in Auror mode, it went quite well."

Draco took a seat on the coffee table, sitting down directly across from her. He was very serious when he asked, "Why didn't you tell him I was here?"

"Really, Draco. Had I told Ron that 'Draco bloody Malfoy' was with me, he would Apparate here instantly and hit you harder then Hermione did when you were third-years. I might be able to get over who you used to be, but my brother definitely would not be."

Draco thought this over for a minute and found that he agreed with her.

Ginny continued, "I'm sorry it has to be this way. But no matter how much good you did during those last few years before Voldemort fell, Ron is never going to accept that you aren't the same, slimy Slytherin he went to Hogwarts with."

"But I saved his life! I didn't have to, but I did. Twice! I almost died the second time. When will people accept that I am not my father? Not like my father!"

Ginny shook her head and patted his arm like she did when Charlie's youngest daughter was upset. She knew exactly what he meant. In a sense, it was similar to her relationship with her family. When were they going to accept that she wasn't little Ginny, to be looked after and ordered about? She was going to say something when Draco put his hand over hers. They locked eyes for a moment before Ginny pulled away from his stare.

"I'm going to get the tablet," Ginny said quietly, removing Draco's hand from her own.

It was past eight o'clock when they stopped for a break. Four hours had passed since Ron had contacted Ginny. She hadn't heard from him since. Bill's coffee table was covered with paper. Draco was taking copious notes. Ginny was absorbing everything he said.

"I think it's safe to say that wherever these directions lead to is where we'll find Bill," Draco said.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, wasn't it the assumption you were working with? He posted this to himself, probably hoping that somebody would find it and figure it out."

"So far all you've written down is some sort of chant. What directions are you talking about?"

Draco flipped the tablet over revealing an underwater scene carved into the amber.

"See those merpeople and goat-fish?"

Ginny nodded, tracing the outline of one of the merwomen with a fingertip.

"Merpeople are found throughout the world. We had a community of them at Hogwarts. We're taught that they originated in Greece but that's not true. The first merpeople lived around Atlantis."

"As in the 'Lost Island of Atlantis'? I thought that was just a Muggle fairy-tale."

"Like legends and myths, fairy-tales have some basis in reality. The ancient merpeople existed with many different types of underwater animals. The most revered of them all was the goat-fish. That's this guy right here." He pointed out one of the half-goat, half-fish creatures. "Goat-fish existed only in the waters surrounding the Island of Atlantis. When it sunk, it is said that they took over the sunken island and ruled it with the demons that had been banished there."

Ginny mulled this over for a minute. "You think that those depictions point to Atlantis?"

Draco nodded. "I'm almost certain it does. The incantation we've been translating seems to be some sort of a song or chant needed to raise Atlantis. And these symbols right here?" He pointed to several symbols grouped together and surrounded by a deeply carved circle. "I think they tell us when to start chanting, but I don't know for sure."

"What do you mean you don't know for sure?" The Weasley temper was making an appearance. "I hired you because you said you could translate this!"

"Relax, Ginny, look at what we've translated so far. Like I told you, this is an ancient form of cuneiform, one I'm not familiar with. We'll have to check with some outside sources, but for now, we are taking a break. We haven't eaten since lunchtime and it's already…" he consulted the clock on the fireplace mantle, "…past eight o'clock."

"You're right, it is late. And I am hungry." As if on cue, Ginny's stomach started growling. "No wonder I'm so edgy. I'll put together something for dinner." She paused for a moment, realizing she'd assumed that he'd stay. "That is, if you want to…"

"I'd love to stay. We can work on the translation again after dinner, assuming, that is, that I'm hired?"

Ginny grinned, feeling more hopeful than she had in months. "You're hired!" She stuck her hand out and they shook on it.

"Right, then. We'll discuss payment when I get back. I'm going to head to my place and get some books that might be helpful. I'll be back in half an hour." He still hadn't released her hand.

"Sounds like a plan."

Ginny was about to pull her hand back when Draco Apparated, leaving it poised in midair. She gathered up the papers, and the tablet, and placed them both inside a hollow brick in the fireplace. A tap of her wand insured that only she would be able to get them out. Ron's warning about Bill's nasty boss had just surfaced to her mind and she felt better having hid the tablet from view.


	8. Teamwork

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter characters belong to JKRowling, I am just taking them out to play for a while and promise to put them back nicely when I'm done.

* * *

**The Curse-breaker's Sister  
Chapter 7**

It had been ages since Ginny had made dinner for anyone so she went all out that evening. At first, she found herself preparing for a roast beef dinner- Hugh's favourite. Then she realized, she no longer had to cook the food that Hugh liked. She could enjoy her favourite foods. She didn't even care if Draco would like what she cooked or not. If he didn't enjoy it, he could conjure up his own meal.

In the end, she made salad the old-fashioned away, adding cucumber and red pepper slices because she liked their flavour. She seasoned a chicken by hand and then set it roasting in the oven with a flick of her wand. Crispy baguettes danced out of the oven into the waiting breadbaskets and everything was on the table by the time Draco returned with an olive coloured duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

"Smells delicious! Is there a house-elf you aren't telling me about?"

Ginny laughed and took the duffel bag from him so he could hang up his cloak. "No house-elf, I made it all myself."

She led him into the kitchen where Bill's tiny table was set for two.

"All that's missing is some candle light," quipped Draco.

"Very funny, Malfoy," Ginny replied, rolling her eyes. "We're here to talk business, remember?"

"Yes, I remember," he told her. He picked his napkin up off the table and tucked it over his lap. "I've been staring at that cuneiform for so long that I can see tiny geometric shapes when I close my eyes."

"How did you learn cuneiform, anyway? It's not a language that's used a lot. I can't see how it could be useful."

"It's useful in my line of business, at least. And Bill's as well, it seems. One of my first clients had me do some work in Mesopotamia, so I learned the basics while I was there. There are still groups of people down there that use it as their form of written language."

"Does your work keep you busy, then?" Ginny asked. "I've read about Malfoy International a few times in the Daily Prophet."

Draco shrugged. "Busy enough. This is good chicken, by the way."

"Thanks. It's a favourite recipe of mine. How'd you get into Treasure hunting?"

"I was broke after the war, as you also may have read in the Daily Prophet. Father was dead, mother insane and the Malfoy name meant nothing anymore. I had no family, no friends, and no status. I had to find a way to support myself. You're lucky, you know, having the family that you do."

"Lucky? Hah! Don't get me wrong, I love them dearly, but lucky is not what I call it. Living out of each other's pockets? Everybody telling you what to do and where to go? No thank you!"

"I don't know about that. I was broke and could have used some family then! I needed money to repair Malfoy Manor, put food on the table, you know how it is. I've always been good at ferreting out secrets." Ginny laughed at the ferret reference. "And I turned those skills to ferreting out treasure. Treasure hunting pays a lot of money, when you can get the contracts."

"Bill has lots of luck with contracts, if anything, he has too many of them. I have more postcards from him than I've had conversations with him in the past year."

"Bill works for Gringotts, though. They hook him up with the jobs. Not even Gringotts would hire a Malfoy to work for them. Not even a good Malfoy. So I went independent and started up Malfoy International. We're still pretty small; in fact, I'm the only employee. But we're getting bigger. It's a lot of in-between work, picking up treasure from the professionals and delivering it to the collectors. That way they can spend more time out in the field."

"Not as exciting as hunting for it yourself, I guess. But it's a start."

"Exactly." Draco had a few bites of chicken and decided it was time to change the subject. Talking about his job and how he would pick things up from treasure collectors was too close to Bill and his job. Too close to Draco picking up the staff from Bill and…

"What about you, Ginny? What have you been doing these past few years?"

"Not much of anything, really. Trying to make a name for myself in the jewellery industry. Bill helps with that. He always brings me back something from his work trips."

"I wouldn't say that's 'not much of anything'. I've seen your work, Ginny. It's fantastic."

Ginny blushed at his praise. "Portrait work wasn't paying the bills and I had to do something after Hugh…" Her voice drifted off, the words left unsaid.

"When Hugh…?" Draco inquired.

"Sorry, where was I?" Ginny continued, as if she hadn't mentioned Hugh. "Bill started bringing me back uncut-gemstones, lumps of precious metals and things like that from his trips and one day when I was bored, I turned some of them into a necklace. Bill took it for one of his girlfriends and she loved it. Asked where it came from and if could she buy one for a friend and that's how it happened, really."

"I've seen your work before, both on display and on different people. That ruby amulet you created for Fleur Delacour was stunning."

"Oh, that was one of my favourites!" Ginny exclaimed. "It wasn't just a necklace either, but a charmed blood amulet. The chain was woven from strands of white gold and her sister's hair. You remember Gabrielle? She died during the _Second War_. It's not often I'm commissioned to create amulets like that, but I do love making them."

"What are they charmed for?"

"I usually get asked for love charms, but in Fleur's case she wanted a reminder of her sister. We charmed the amulet to heat up when any member of her family is in immediate danger. That way she can get to them quickly and help them."

"I remember when Gabrielle died," Draco began in a subdued voice. He had not talked with anyone about the _Second War_ or the final Battle before. "Gabrielle was captured when Beauxbatons was invaded. Fleur was working in England and by the time she got to France, it was too late."

Ginny's eyes took on a faraway look as she remembered the sad memory. She'd been with Bill when Fleur had returned to him from France, broken, bitter, and determined never to let a family member down again. "I'm glad that's all over," she said quietly, her voice a near whisper.

A silence fell over both of them. Ginny busied herself with removing plates from the table. Draco rose to help her, using his wand to make the dishes wash themselves in the sink.

"You don't have to help with that," she told him. "I can do it just fine."

"I'm sure you can," Draco said. "I don't mind helping."

The clock from the living room chimed eleven times, reminding them of how late in the evening it was. They had been together for twelve hours now.

"It's late," Ginny said.

"Yes, it is. I should get going. We'll work on this tomorrow then?" It was more a statement than a question. Draco reached for his cloak.

"Yes, we will. Draco…" Ginny paused, not sure what to say next.

He looked at her, his grey eyes radiating warmth. "Ginny?"

"Thank you," she gushed. "Thank you for believing me and helping me."

He replied with a smile and a mock salute then Disapparated with a pop.


	9. Lie By Omission

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter characters belong to JKRowling, I am just taking them out to play for a while and promise to put them back nicely when I'm done.

* * *

**The Curse-breaker's Sister  
Chapter 8**

Draco Apparated from his cottage early the next morning, appearing on Bill's front porch with a pop. He knocked on the door and found himself looking forward to seeing Ginny's face again. He'd slept soundly last night, better then he'd slept in about a week. His dreams had been filled with a red-haired woman whose face he couldn't see clearly. Draco suspected the dream was inspired by the many hours he'd spent with Ginny yesterday.

Ginny didn't answer the door but called out to Draco to come in. He entered the cottage, placed his bags on the ground, and hung his cloak up on the rack.

"Ginny?" he called out. "Where are you?"

"I'm in the back room," she replied. "Come on back."

He made his way through the house, smiling at the occasional waving portrait on the wall, and found Ginny hunched over a golden cantaloupe in the back room.

"What's that?" he asked.

"It's amber," she told him, not looking up from her work. She was chipping out a curved line with a tool Draco didn't recognize.

He pulled up a seat beside her and for a while, he watched her work in silence.

"What kind of tool is that?" he finally asked.

"It's a bur. I'm using it to chip out the design."

The chunk of amber, which had been smooth yesterday, was now covered in shallow, swirling lines. Chips of amber littered the table and a few clung to Ginny's hair.

"What are you carving?"

"A Snitch. I'm going to fashion a pair of wings for it out of gold."

Draco stiffened. "Is it for Harry?" he asked in a somewhat strained voice.

Ginny looked up from her carving. "No, it's not for Harry. I don't know who it will be for but a Snitch is what I see in the stone so a Snitch is what it will become." She put down her bur and wrapped the amber up in a soft cloth. "Have you had breakfast, or are you ready to work?"

"I'm ready to work. I've brought some more books with me. A few of them are about Mesopotamia and Ur. I think they might help us translate some of the icons."

They moved into the living room. Ginny brought the tablet out from its hiding place and spread the papers out on the table. Draco unpacked his books, a few of them had pages he had marked the night before.

"I recognized some of the symbols and looked them up before I went to bed. I've done a bit of reading and I think the symbols over here represent ancient moon gods."

"What about the cuneiform, and the incantation?" Ginny asked.

"That's what I'm not so sure about. The cuneiform used on the tablet is a variation I'm not familiar with. Some words I'm not sure of. See these slashes here… and above this triangle… those three dots?"

Ginny nodded.

"These are accents on certain words and I'm not sure if they indicate inflection while speaking or a different meaning for the word altogether. These are going to take time."

"Well, I won't let that get me down. What about the things you do recognize? Let's start from there. Just tell me how to help. I feel so useless! And I hate that you are doing all the work."

"Ginny, relax. We will figure this out. We will find your brother." He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "And you're a great helper, Gin. Look at all the notes you took yesterday and the sketches you made. You can do the same today. Your writing is a lot better then mine!"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, let's get back to work! See this icon right here…? It's the symbol for the ziggurat of Sîn. And this one…?" He pointed to two oval shaped indentations. "These are the eyes of Ningal. If I'm not mistaken, there were two lumps of onyx placed in here once, representing the eyes of the goddess. Ningal and Sîn were moon gods. They were married to each other, but worshiped separately. Sîn had a temple in Ur, but the location of Ningal's temple is unknown."

"Do you think Bill is at these temples?"

"I'm not sure. We could go to the temple of Sîn, it's a ziggurat actually, and find out."

"These gods are still worshiped today?"

"Oh, no. Some temples are still around, but the gods and goddesses they belong to are no longer worshiped. Ningal's cult lasted long into the first millennium, but it died down eventually. They all did."

The day progressed much like the last one. Ginny took copious amounts of notes. They both read through many of the books Draco had brought with him. Ginny conjured up lunch at one point and they ate while they worked. Draco helped with dinner.

The clock on the mantle chimed midnight, though neither of them heard it. Draco had sketched out a rough looking map of places described on the tablet. Ginny was flipping through a Mesopotamian Encyclopedia, trying to see if these places still existed today. Her eyelids were heavy and her neck felt like it could no longer hold her head up. She leaned back against the couch, resting her neck for a moment. Her eyes closed inadvertently and when Draco looked over at her a few minutes later, she was asleep.

He smiled warmly at the sleeping woman beside him. Asleep, he could stare at Ginny all he wanted without her blushing or looking away from him. She really was quite beautiful, and Draco wondered why he had not noticed that before. There were a few stray chips of amber in her hair, left over from her carving that morning. He gently picked them out of her red locks, careful not to wake her up, and then went back to the translation he was working on.

Draco didn't feel very tired and decided he would work on the tablet for a little while longer. The sooner they translated it, the sooner they could find Bill. The sooner they found Bill, the sooner his name would be cleared. Draco wondered what Ginny would think of him when it was all over. Would she be angry with him for not telling her the truth?

_But I haven't lied to her_, he thought to himself. That was the Malfoy way of thinking. A lie by omission is not a lie. He wrestled with his thoughts for a while and then followed Ginny into sleep.

The sun woke them both up the next morning. Ginny was leaning against Draco's shoulder, the giant book still in her lap. Draco's feet were propped up on the coffee table. His right hand was protectively covering the tablet, the left placed over Ginny's hand.

"Good morning," Draco muttered, his voice was rough with sleep. He had been watching Ginny sleep for the past twenty minutes, watching the flutter of her eyelids as she dreamed.

"Hi," Ginny said sleepily. "I guess we fell asleep."

Draco yawned. "Looks like it. You have ink on your face." He reached up rubbed the smudge of ink on her cheek.

Ginny pushed his hand away from her face. She wasn't used to people touching her or staring at her like he was now. She wasn't sure she liked it. The first person to touch her like that was Tom and the last, Hugh. Both unpleasant men, both unpleasant memories that overrode all memories of men in-between.

"Shall I make breakfast, then?" Ginny had placed the heavy tome she'd fallen asleep with on the coffee table and was now walking briskly towards the kitchen.

"Sounds," Draco yawned again, "wonderful."

"The bathroom's off the back room where I was carving yesterday, if you want to freshen up," she told him. And then she was gone, off to make them breakfast and hide from Draco's stares.

Breakfast was a subdued affair. Ginny tried to talk about Mesopotamia. Draco refused to talk business over breakfast. Instead they talked about life after the Second War.

"I knew Pansy was cheating on me, so the breakup was inevitable, but I was definitely shocked to find out who she was cheating with."

"Who was it?" Ginny asked. She couldn't help herself.

"Millicent Bulstrode."

Ginny choked on her bagel. "You're pulling my leg, aren't you Draco?"

"Don't I wish!"

Ginny smiled at him and then started to laugh. Soon, Draco was laughing as well. The breakup had hurt at the time, but even he had to admit that it was funny.

"I'm sorry," Ginny said when she had stopped laughing. "I shouldn't laugh."

"It's all right." Draco grinned. "I'm laughing too. What about you? I remember reading about you getting engaged to be married but," he picked up her hand from where it lay on the table, "I see no ring on your finger."

"You obviously didn't read the follow-up story detailing my failed wedding and subsequent vacation."

Draco toasted another bagel with his wand then heaped it with cream cheese. "No, I didn't." There, another lie of omission. He didn't read about it, but he had heard about it. The Weasley Wedding Scandal had rocked the wizarding world. With the war over, the newspapers were scrambling for things to write about and unfortunately, Ginny had been one of them.

"Well, you didn't miss much. I left my groom at the alter, fled on Harry's broom and took a very long vacation."

"I suspect you just told me the much-edited version. What really happened, Ginny?"

"I didn't love him." Her voice was curt and cold.

"Then why did you agree to marry him?"

Ginny sighed. "The _Second War_ was in full swing. What was I supposed to do? Hugh was a friend of Percy's from the Ministry. Another one of Fudge's puppets. I didn't really like him, just liked that he showed interest in me. When he proposed, I was caught by surprise. I didn't know what to say, so I just said yes. I figured since the war was on, one, or both of us, would die before it was over and it wouldn't matter anyway. Why not make him happy?

"Unfortunately, the war ended, Voldemort was gone, and both Hugh and myself were still alive. I was stuck being engaged to him. I found myself caught up in this farce but didn't have it in me to stop it. My Mum…my Dad…they were so happy for us. I couldn't break their hearts…couldn't break Hugh's."

"You obviously did break somebody's heart or you would be married right now."

"Thank Merlin I'm not," Ginny said fervently. "The day of my wedding arrived and everything was ready and as I walked down the aisle I found myself thinking of the future. I like to think my inner Weasley came out in full force. I couldn't imagine a future married to a spineless simp who was intimidated by all but one of my brothers. So I turned around and ran out of the church. It was like…it was like a dream! Everybody started yelling and calling my name, but I kept running. I could hear Fred, George and Harry laughing."

Draco was laughing himself. He'd met Hugh several times and found him to be more odious and self-centered then even his father had been. How Ginny tolerated him for as long as she did was beyond him. "What happened next?"

"Oh, nothing major. I Apparated to the Burrow, borrowed Harry's latest broom and took off for parts unknown. Hugh was livid, of course. Things are still rocky between Percy and me. Bill found me first, and I explained it all to him. He helped me talk to Mum and Dad and then after that, everyone else. And now I live my own life, do what I want to do. Hugh visited me. Just once. He scoffed at my "bohemian lifestyle" and mocked me for being a starving artist. He's married now. Got married less then a year after I left him at the altar."

"Wow, that sounds like a story straight out of Witch Weekly Magazine."

Ginny chuckled at the thought. "It does, doesn't it? Maybe I should exchange my carving tools for a quill and become a writer rather then an artist.

"How does the story end?" Draco asked, smiling at her. "What happened to our intrepid heroine next?"

"Right now she spends her time getting kicked out of Gringotts, searching for her brother, and sending Howlers to his boss in the hopes that they'll do something about his whereabouts."

"What, no happily ever after?" Draco joked.

"Finding Bill alive will be the happily ever after."


	10. Mesopotamian Nights

**Disclaimer:**Harry Potter characters belong to JKRowling, I am just taking them out to play for a while and promise to put them back nicely when I'm done.

**  
The Curse-breaker's Sister   
Chapter 9**  
  
With breakfast out of the way, they completed the translation work on the icons. Draco was still unsure about the cuneiform, but had some ideas on how to figure it out.  
  
"You want to go to Mesopotamia, now?" Ginny asked, her voice incredulous.  
  
"Yes, I do. Think about it. We could kill two birds with one stone. We could go to the Ziggurat of Sîn and see if Bill is there. And while we are in Mesopotamia, we can find out about the form of cuneiform we are dealing with, and be able to learn more about the temple of Ningal, too."  
  
Ginny considered his points briefly and then agreed to go. "I'll start packing. Do you have everything you need?"  
  
"I'll send for some of my things."  
  
Ginny walked off to pack while Draco borrowed her owl to send a message to Hodgey. A few moments later, the belongings he requested appeared at Bill's cottage with an echoing pop. A note written in Hodgey's scratchy scrawl was attached to one of the trunks.  
  
Draco read the note quickly and shoved it in his pocket when Ginny came back into the room. The Goblins had been at the Malfoy Manor when Hodgey received Draco's note. They had tried to follow the owl, but Hodgey had sent it elsewhere. The need for Draco to leave the country had just doubled.  
  
Ginny eyed the pile of trunks, bags, and books now occupying the coffee table in Bill's den. "That's a lot of stuff to take with us. Are you sure you need it all?"  
  
"My house-elf was a little zealous in his packing. It will only take me a few minutes to pick out what I really need. Besides, we could shrink it if we want to, but I don't think we'll need it all."  
  
"Well, I'm all packed. How long do you think we'll be gone for? I need to make arrangements for Pig."  
  
Draco blanched. Hodgey had sent Pig off somewhere using house-elf magic and he wasn't sure when – or if – he'd return. "Oh, a day, maybe two at the most."  
  
Ginny nodded. "Okay, then. I'm just going to send my Mum a note with Pig to let her know I'll be gone for a few days and tell her to keep Pig with her until I return."  
  
Pig chose that exact moment to swoop into the room. Draco decided not to mention that he'd surreptitiously borrowed the hyper bird. What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. He winced at the thought. His list of lies was getting longer.  
  
Ginny was now tying a roll of parchment to Pig's proffered leg. "Take this to Mum, Pig, and stay with her until I get back. Okay?" She ruffled his feathers affectionately. He returned the gesture with a nip on her finger and flew out the window.  
  
"What did you tell your mother?" asked Draco.  
  
"That I was going to Mesopotamia to pick up material for my work."  
  
"You don't think she'll suspect anything?"  
  
Ginny shook her head no. "I doubt it. Like the rest of my family, she thinks I'm a good little daughter and stopped looking for Bill months ago."  
  
"That's good, then. Are you ready?"  
  
"I'm ready. My bags are packed." Ginny had packed everything she thought they could possibly need.  
  
Her knowledge of Mesopotamia could fit into a teaspoon. She did know that it was hot, and so she had packed light, cotton robes to wear and had put on sturdy, but comfortable boots. She'd also packed the tablet, the maps they drew, all of their notes, a magical first aid kit and as an afterthought, tossed in two protective amulets she'd made.  
  
Ginny had hidden them carefully in the folds of her spare robe. She wasn't sure if they'd need them, but just in case things got dangerous, she had brought them along. She wouldn't mention them to Draco unless it was absolutely necessary. Ginny remembered how her face had flushed when she first decided to pack the amulets. She'd been having protective thoughts about Draco Malfoy and didn't want him to know it. The thoughts had surprised her and had taken her off guard. Ginny wasn't used to caring for people that weren't family and wasn't sure what this meant.  
  
"Earth to Ginny...Come in Ginny?"  
  
"Oh!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Where were you just now?"  
  
"Sorry, I was just going over everything I'd packed in my head. Wanted to make sure I had everything."  
  
"Do you?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, I'm ready."  
  
Draco shrunk their luggage and placed the bite-sized bags in his pockets. The only thing that remained normal-sized was the amber tablet. Ginny had wrapped it up in a blanket she'd found in Bill's linen closet and was carrying it in a backpack.  
  
They Apparated to London, appearing amidst the hustle and bustle of England's busiest Portkey station. It was illegal, and dangerous, to Apparate across continents. Draco didn't trust himself to do it anyway and take the both of them to Mesopotamia without getting splinched.  
  
He offered to pay for the Portkeys, but Ginny wouldn't let him. "We've not even discussed how much I'm paying you for this. The least you can do is let me pay for the Portkey."  
  
The gentleman inside Draco was about to argue with her, but then he spotted two Goblins, an uncommon sight outside of Gringotts, walking quickly through the station. They were in the company of two Aurors. "Okay, Gin, fine with me." If he stood around arguing, he might be spotted.  
  
Ginny lined up to purchase the Portkeys and Draco ducked out of the central foyer and down a shadowy corridor. When Ginny returned, Draco was nowhere to be found.  
  
Bloody Slytherin git, she thought. But then she saw him, standing behind a large, potted plant and chastised herself for immediately thinking the worst. She started walking toward Draco.  
  
Draco had cast a quick Disillusionment Charm on himself and then taken up a post beside an ugly potted palm tree. The Aurors walked by him and he could hear them talking to each other.  
  
"We traced the owl back to Bill Weasley's place. Found some of Malfoy's things there. We think he's been hiding out since we put a trace on him last week."  
  
"Why do the Goblins think he'd be here?" asked the second Auror.  
  
The first Auror shrugged. "Dunno. They probably think he's trying to leave the country and is dumb enough to buy a public Portkey in order to do so. Who knows what those Goblin minds think."  
  
The Aurors wandered off and Draco spied Ginny, who appeared to be looking for him. He tapped his head with his wand, removing the Disillusionment Charm. Ginny spotted him the moment he did so.  
  
"Draco!" Ginny ran over to him, slightly out of breath. "I thought I'd lost you."  
  
"Oh no, I wasn't lost. Just nipped to the loo. Got the Portkeys?"  
  
"Yes, here," she said, and handed him a rubber chicken. "I've got one, too. They are set to go off at ten past eleven. We've got about one..." Ginny felt the familiar tug around her navel, "...minute!"  
  
They were standing in an outdoor pavilion made of a beige coloured stone. The entire landscape was the same color from the sand on the ground to the taupe coloured buildings in the distance. Even the dusty looking robes worn by the locals were beige.  
  
"What a drab place," Ginny whispered so only Draco could here.  
  
"Wait until you see it at night," he told her. "Or after it rains! That's when the place brightens up. Come on," he said, taking her elbow. "Let's find somewhere to stay."  
  
"I thought we were going to go to the ziggurat and find Bill..."  
  
"We will, Ginny, don't worry. I think it's best that we set up headquarters first. Some sort of base-camp for us to work from."  
  
"Okay, we set up headquarters," Ginny conceded. "But then we find the ziggurat."  
  
Draco found them a moderately priced room in a sprawling, ten-story hotel. The concierge boasted about the hotel's amenities but they weren't really interested in the many saunas, swimming pools and café's the hotel had to offer. They dropped their belongs off and then Draco gave Ginny a tour of Modern Day Ur.  
  
"Ur is really amazing, Gin," Draco told her. "The Muggles have no clue it even exists. The entire city-state is unplottable. Ur itself is home to the wizarding world's Treasure Collecting elite."  
  
Ginny looked around at the drab, dirty people that filled the streets and the storefronts. "They don't look very elite to me."  
  
"The gap between the Urrian rich and poor is huge. You either have money, or you don't. The people in this part of the town don't."  
  
"Where are we going, anyway?"  
  
"Oh, I just thought we'd take a walk before dinner. I know of this great little restaurant."  
  
"But I thought you said-"  
  
Draco cut her off. "Yes, I did say we would look for Bill, and we will, after we've got some food in our stomachs. There are some libraries I want to check out while we're here. We might be able to find out some information on the incantation. See that building over there... with the three spires and the golden entrance?"  
  
Ginny looked in the direction he was pointing at and saw the building he was talking about. It was bigger then Hogwarts and made of the same, sandy colored stone as everything else she'd seen so far.  
  
"That's one of the libraries I'm talking about. Wait till you see the inside!"  
  
They walked further down the sidewalk until Draco led them into a tiny, roadside café. Their meal consisted of local delicacies – spicy breadsticks, a sweet, sticky fruit beverage served over shaved ice and shish kebabs. Over dinner they chatted about their plan of action for the next day and many other things that popped up.  
  
Draco, without realizing what he was doing, steered the conversation onto the topic of the past and Ginny found herself talking more about her failed relationship with Hugh.  
  
"Have you dated anyone since?" Draco asked her over dessert.  
  
"No." There was no explanation, no back-story, just a simple answer.  
  
"Don't you miss it, though?"  
  
Ginny snorted. "Miss what? Being bossed around, told what to wear, where to go, how to talk and what to say? No, I do not miss it."  
  
"What about the good stuff?" Draco pressed the subject. "Somebody to wake up in bed with on Sunday mornings, somebody to hold hands with as you stroll through the park, somebody to kiss."  
  
She shook her head 'no' once again. "None of that really interests me," she told him honestly. "I found it all rather boring."  
  
"Even kissing?" Draco asked, eyebrows raised.  
  
"Even kissing." Ginny turned back to her dessert and missed Draco's incredulous look.  
  
The rest of the meal was spent in silence while Ginny ate her strawberry mousse and Draco wondered if Ginny would be bored with kissing him.  
  
They returned to the hotel a few hours later, having walked the long way home. Along the way, Draco pointed out the libraries they could visit tomorrow and in the distance, nestled between two hills, the Ziggurat of Sîn. Once in the hotel room, they flipped a Galleon for the bed. Draco won the coin toss, but ever the gentlemen, he gave the bed to Ginny and took the couch for himself. They turned in for the night, promising to get an early start in the morning.  
  
"Good night," Ginny said quietly after the lamps were turned out.  
  
"Sleep well, Gin," Draco replied. Then, a few moments later he said, "I hope you don't snore!"  
  
There was no answer. Ginny was already asleep.

**Author Notes: **

To Manraviel, my beta, thank you! This story would not have been possible without your hard work and help. You rock:) I'd also like to thank Elizabeth Lowell for writing the book "Amber Beach" and sparking my interest in amber (and jade and other ancient and interesting things!)  
  
Just a few random things I want to mention 'cause I'm not sure where else to mention them! Yes, I know that a goat-fish is known as a hippocamp, but in the myths and legends I've been researching (Primarily A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology by Gwendolyn Leick & Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia, by Jeremey Black and Anthony Green), they are always referred to as goat-fish, so, that's what I'm running with!  
  
To everyone who has left feedback, thank you! It warms my heart, cheesy as that sounds, to know that something I really enjoy writing is also something that somebody enjoys reading!   
  
Apologies for the chapter length, I swear I don't do it like that on purpose; I just try to end the chapters at natural breaking points. I could pad them with unnecessary paragraphs but I feel that would detract from the story.  
  
Anyroad, that's my story! Have a good day:)  



	11. Worthy of Trust

**Disclaimer: **The Harry Potter people and places belong to JK Rowling, not me. No offense intended. I am merely taking them out to play. Promise to put them all back when I'm done. Also, any Alladin like references were purely coincidental. Alladin and all his gunk belong to Disney, not me.  
  
**The Curse-breaker's Sister  
Chapter 10, Mesopotamian Nights**  
  
The sun rose the following morning, casting a pinky-red glow over the city- state of Ur. Ginny was out on the balcony, enjoying the momentary burst of colour. Draco joined her after waking up, carrying out two steaming mugs of coffee.  
  
"Sleep well?" he inquired after taking a few sips out of his mug.  
  
"Yes, very well. The bed was quite comfortable. Did you sleep okay?"  
  
Draco nodded. "The couch was comfortable too. Not the best thing I've slept on, but no complaints."  
  
They took turns using the bathroom, Ginny taking longer then Draco because she couldn't resist trying all the exotic scented shampoos and body washes provided with the room. It was half past ten before they made it out to the streets below, Draco once again insisting they eat before working.  
  
With breakfast out of the way, they took a rickshaw to the nearest library. Ginny had never travelled this way before and thought it quite strange to ride in a cart pulled by a boy. The road was bumpy and the cart bounced all over the road. More then once Ginny found herself clinging to Draco. She felt as if she was going to be thrown from the rickshaw at any moment. Finally she just closed her eyes and held on tightly to Draco's arm.  
  
"We are walking back to the hotel even if it takes us all day!" she told him vehemently. They had just stepped out of the rickshaw and Ginny's brain felt like it was still bouncing around inside her skull.  
  
Draco couldn't help but smile. Ginny's hair was a mess, red strands sticking out haphazardly from her head. He smoothed a few tresses behind her ears. For once, she didn't bat his hands away.  
  
"I thought you'd enjoy trying the local transportation while you were here. Don't worry, we can Apparate back to the hotel room."  
  
He took her arm and led her into the library. Ginny found them a private study room and settled in, spreading out the pictures, maps and translations they'd made back in England. Draco went out into the main library to find books that might aid them with the translation.  
  
When he returned, they buckled down, talking only when necessary. Ginny was researching Sîn and Ningal while Draco was trying to find out what mode of cuneiform the tablet was written in. Neither of them noticed that they were being watched.  
  
Crouched in the shadows, outside the study room window, was a skinny, almost skeletal looking man. His skin was the same brown colour as his dusty, stained robes. The sun didn't bother him, nor did the occasional wind that whipped sand from the ground into his eyes. He remained hidden, all day, only leaving when Draco and Ginny departed for the evening.  
  
Ea Nasir sat on his throne, as he always did, and waited for his servant to report to him. He was a patient man. Some things were worth waiting for, but today his patience with his servant was wearing thin. He was about to send somebody after him when a large, decorative mirror lying on the table in front of him started to glow.  
  
"Ninbanda!" he called.  
  
The woman scurried out of the corner she'd been sitting in and lifted the mirror off the table. An image of the dirt stained man who had spied on Ginny and Draco appeared on the mirror's surface.  
  
"I have found the Plaque of Poseidon, Sir!" Estrada squeaked. He was talking into a tiny, handheld mirror of his own.  
  
Ea Nasir was silent. His servants knew better than making him ask questions.  
  
"The plaque is with Malfoy," Estrada scrambled to keep talking. "He's with a girl. The girl has the plaque. I found them at the Library of Enlil."  
  
"Tell me about the girl," hissed Ea Nasir in a low, menacing voice.  
  
"She has red hair! Red hair, Master. They're staying at a hotel downtown. I followed them there. And now... now they are eating dinner at a café near here. I followed them, Master, just like your ordered me to!" Estrada's voice took on a whiney tone that annoyed Nasir.  
  
"Find the plaque. Leave no witnesses."  
  
With a nod of his head, Ea Nasir signalled Ninbanda to replace the mirror on the table, thus severing the connection with Estrada. He sat back in his chair and closed his eyes; the short conversation with Estrada had drained him.  
  
"Leave me," he croaked.  
  
Ninbanda obeyed, leaving the room and silently shutting the door behind her.  
  
Nasir sat in the silence, pondering the presence of this red haired girl, trying to puzzle out the meaning of Draco Malfoy's appearance in his city. Like a torch lit with magic, the connection burst into his head. Bill Weasley had red hair. Draco Malfoy was in Ur with a red-haired girl.  
  
His yellow eyes glared at the ashes in the fireplace. Just yesterday he had thrown another letter from Bill's sister into the fireplace and watched it burn. Nasty, annoying things, they were. His servants allowed only the one to go off. The servant responsible for that was long gone, and the rest had learned their lesson from watching him go.  
  
Draco Malfoy's redheaded friend could only be Bill Weasley's sister.  
  
"EMSAF!" he bellowed.  
  
Moments later, his head bodyguard appeared. "Master," he said, bowing low.  
  
"Go into the city and find Estrada. Make sure he does not fail me. Bring me the plaque and bring me the girl. UNHARMED!" he added when he noticed a sly gleam in Emsaf's eye. "Kill Malfoy."  
  
Draco had taken Ginny out for dinner once more, paying for it himself and brushing aside her protests when she once again brought up the fact that they hadn't discussed payment.  
  
"I'm going to be honest with you, Ginny. I don't feel like I'm working for you. I feel like I'm helping a friend. So please stop trying to pay me, or pay for everything."  
  
"I feel like I'm using you," Ginny said. "I feel like I'm contributing nothing to this venture. At least if I paid for things, I'd be helping."  
  
They had been arguing the issue while walking back to the hotel. Draco had learned that Ginny was stubborn and tenacious. When she wanted something, she didn't let go of it until she got it.  
  
"If you are going to keep debating this, let's do it over drinks on the balcony." Draco unlocked the door to their suite and walked in.  
  
Their suite was a mess. Everything was destroyed.  
  
Ginny tried to run into the room but Draco stopped her. He pushed his way in front of her and wouldn't let her past.  
  
"Wands out," he murmured. "We don't know if they're still in here."  
  
Broken wood, pottery and glass littered the floor. What plants were still standing were covered in fluff from the couch cushions and pillows. Ginny's robes, both sets, were ripped to shreds. Draco found his spare clothing stuffed into the toilet. Large chunks of stone had been blasted out of the walls and the koi fish, which had been swimming happily in their bowl when they left, were now dead on the floor.  
  
They searched the suite, leaving Ginny's room for last. There, hovering in the air, were two amulets. They hung in the air as if placed around invisible necks. The stones pulsed from a dull grey to a matte black colour.  
  
Ginny reached out to grab them but Draco stopped her once more. "Don't. We don't know what they are."  
  
Ginny pushed his protective arm away and plucked an amulet out of the air. As soon as she touched it, the stone stopped pulsing.  
  
"They're mine," Ginny told him. "I made them."  
  
"What are they?"  
  
"They're protective amulets. I finished them just after Bill went away. I packed them on a whim, really. Just in case we needed them. Didn't think we would."  
  
Draco walked around and stood behind the second amulet. There, in a direct line with the still pulsing stone, was a body sized imprints in the wall.  
  
"Look," Draco said.  
  
Ginny turned to look at the wall, seeing for herself the deep, body shaped holes in the wall.  
  
"Somebody tried to harm the amulets, or take them. They're charmed to protect against people who mean harm to their owner. I had no idea they'd repel things across the room with such force."  
  
Draco let out a bitter laugh. "I'd hate to be on the wrong end of one of those things. Look how deep those imprints are. That had to hurt."  
  
"You were meant to be on the protective side of it, you idiot."  
  
Draco turned to Ginny, a curious look in his eyes. "One of those was for me?" He felt strange inside. It had been a long time since anybody had cared for him.  
  
"Yes," said Ginny. "One for you and one for me. Like I said, I didn't think we would need them, but now that we do..." She placed the amulet around Draco's neck.  
  
Draco felt a warm, ticklish sensation all over his body. The skin directly below the amulet started to itch. Ginny was chanting something so quietly that he couldn't make out the words. She tapped the black stone with her wand and Draco watched in amazement as it turned to a deep, glowing green. After a few seconds, the glow faded and his skin stopped itching. Draco was left with a smooth, emerald coloured oval hanging around his neck.  
  
Ginny looked up at Draco and smiled. "There you go, the Attunation is complete. Now for me."  
  
She reached up for the second amulet and placed it around her neck. Draco watched as she repeated the process on herself. This time the black stone turned a dark red colour that reminded him of dried blood. Ginny had no sooner finished muttering the spell when there was a loud banging on the door.  
  
They both spun around, watching the door with wary eyes, wands at the ready. Draco noticed a green light spread out from under the door, a sign that magic was being used.  
  
"Ginny, grab what you can, I'll block the door. We've got to get out of here!"  
  
Ginny hurried around the suite, salvaging what she could. Draco used the strongest magic he could muster to keep the door shut. The door was starting to vibrate and Draco's arm was shaking.  
  
"Ginny! Hurry up! I can't hold the door much longer," he yelled, his voice shaking more then his arm was.  
  
Ginny ran up to him, breathing heavily from exertion. "It's not much, almost everything is destroyed."  
  
"The plaque?"  
  
"It's fine. The amulets must have protected it."  
  
"Alright, let's go!"  
  
Draco lowered his wand arm and the door exploded in a blast of green light. Splinters of wood flew everywhere temporarily impairing their vision.  
  
When Ginny could see clearly, she cast a Jelly-legs Jinx on the first man she saw. She heard Draco yell, "Serpensortia!" and then cast a stunner with his wand. The red bolt of lightning hit a burly man wearing a grey toga directly in the chest. He fell to the ground, knocking down one of his comrades in the process.  
  
Draco grabbed Ginny's arm and together they ran for the window. They were on the second floor, but some scrubby looking bushes covered the ground below the window. They might break their fall.  
  
Before jumping, Draco shot a thick, white beam of light out of his wand and Ginny watched as it dissipated through out the room. Suddenly, the room in front of them reversed itself and then men attacking them were hanging from the ceiling.  
  
Taking advantage of the moment, Draco and Ginny leapt out of the window, hand in hand, landing in the bushes below. They took off immediately, running down the streets, ducking into alleyways, never stopping to see if it was safe. Draco risked a look behind them once and noticed that one of their attackers was still following them.  
  
They ran faster. Ginny's legs were screaming in pain and her arm felt as if Draco was going to rip it from it's socket any second now. He was running faster then her, dragging her behind him by her arm. The bag with the plaque in it was slung over her shoulder, the stone tablet slamming into her back every time she took a step.  
  
The frantic chase continued. Innocent citizens were knocked over and at one point, Draco and Ginny caused a camel cart to crash. There was no time to stop and apologize. The large man chasing them was quickly gaining on them. Draco ducked into an alley, pulling Ginny behind him.  
  
"Come on, down here," he yelled in between gasping breaths of air.  
  
They ran a minute longer, stopping when confronted with a dead end. Ginny could hear heavy footsteps getting louder as their attacker got closer. She looked around frantically for some sort of exit but there was none.  
  
"Draco, what do we do?" Her eyes were wide with fear.  
  
"Do you trust me?" he asked her quietly.  
  
She stared at him, eyes still wide, and said nothing.  
  
Draco grabbed her hands in his and looked her in the eyes.  
  
"Do you trust me, Ginny?" he yelled.  
  
"Yes!" she called out.  
  
Draco wrapped his arms around her and before she knew what was happening, they had Apparated.  
  
**AN:** Thanks to Manraviel, of course, my stellar Beta! To all the reviewers. Your comments and suggestions really help:) Your rock!   
  
Updated w/Beta'd Version: June 8th, 2004  
  
And WHOA. I did not realized the super!Alladinish undertones until you pointed it out to me. Boy do I feel silly! Especially because at some point in the next 7 chapters, they go on a Magic Carpet Ride. facepalms (how do you spell Alladin, anyway?)  



	12. The Demoness Lamaštu

**Disclaimer: You know the deal. Harry Potter et al. belong to the fantabulous JKR. No offense meant, no money being made.  
  
The Curse-breaker's Sister  
Chapter 11**  
  
Bill watched in terror as the sexiest, most beautiful woman he had ever seen walked towards him. Her hips swayed and long, pale legs whipped out from the folds of her dress with every step she took. Bill had never seen another woman like her, and no doubt would ever again. This was not really a woman, but a demon that had taken Bill a prisoner and had no plans of letting him go.  
  
The demoness bent to kiss one of her minions. There were several of them chained up in the room with Bill. He could hear him begging her to love him, to release him. Instead, she toyed with him and pressed her pale, pink lips to his head before kicking him hard in the stomach. The man grunted and then fell silent. The other men in the room cowered, their chains rattling as they tried to press themselves into the cold, stone wall.  
  
She stood now, in front of Bill, forcing him to look up at her from where he was chained to the ground. He looked directly into her eyes, trying his best to appear unafraid. She stared back at him. Her eyes were shining and black, framed with unnaturally long eyelashes.  
  
"How are you, my darling? I trust you find your accommodations to your liking?" she purred in a husky voice.  
  
"Who are you?" Bill demanded. He hoped that his voice was not as shaky as it sounded to him.  
  
"I am Lamaštu. And you...you my redheaded man-child, are Bill Weasley. You stole my staff."  
  
"I didn't know it was yours," he called out angrily. "Let me go and we can work this out."  
  
Lamaštu knelt down on the stone before him. Her oval-shaped face was less than an inch from her own. "If you didn't know it was mine, then why did you steal it?" She traced a pattern up his arm with a fingertip. "Tell me, cherub, and I will be very good to you. Defy me and you will suffer!"  
  
Bill said nothing.  
  
"Tell me, Bill. I'll make it worth your while. What do you want from me? I am a demon, a goddess. I can give you anything your mortal heart desires."  
  
Bill remained silent. Lamaštu leaned even closer to him. He could feel her breath on his face. Her fingertip began tracing patterns again, down his arm and onto his leg, precariously close to his inner thigh. He tried to move his legs away from her but found that he was frozen in place with magic.  
  
"Let me go!" he yelled.  
  
Lamaštu laughed, a sultry sound that under other circumstances would have sent shivers of delight through Bill's body. "How did you find Atlantis?" she asked him.  
  
"Persistent, aren't you?"  
  
"Oh, you are so witty, you humans. So funny! I demand you tell me how you found Atlantis!" She was yelling quite loudly now.  
  
Her hands were moving again, this time to his belt buckle. Bill was helpless, paralysed with magic and unable to push her away. Anger and fear coursed through his veins. He concentrated all his energy on ignoring her, on mentally pushing her away from him and was surprised when she suddenly jerked back, as if kicked.  
  
He watched as she flew across the room. For a brief moment, the vampiric succubus in the shimmering white dress was replaced with a horrific image. An ugly beast with the head of a lion, blood stained hands and talon-like feet appeared before him before reverting to the form of the beautiful woman.  
  
Lamaštu stood and adjusted the flimsy, white strips she used to cover her body. The dress left little to the imagination. The fabric was slit very high up the side of her legs, and up the middle of the dress, too. The front was nothing but two strips of fabric that barely covered her breasts. Her revealing outfit displayed an intricate tattoo across her chest. The swirling patterns of black ink seemed alive as they writhed across her skin.  
  
She walked towards Bill once again. This time the sway in her hips was replaced with an almost child-like stomp.  
  
"Damn you wizards and your wandless magic! You will tell me how you got here. You will tell me why you dared to steal the staff of Lamaštu! You will tell me or I will kill you!" Her voice was petulant and demanding.  
  
Bill opened his mouth to answer but ended up coughing instead. His throat burned and his lungs screamed in pain as he struggled to get his breath. The coughing fit left him feeling too weak to answer.  
  
"Stupid human weakling," she cursed.  
  
Lamaštu flicked her hand in a seemingly casual manner and Bill started to thrash about in pain. He struggled against the magical chains used to bind him but his efforts were futile. Hot waves of agony ripped through his muscles and his screams echoed through the chamber, setting off the other prisoners. Soon the room was filled with a cacophony of screaming men. The only sound louder than the screams was the demands of Lamaštu.  
  
Another flick of her hands and the pain stopped. Bill's screams ended instantly.  
  
"Tell me what I want to know," Lamaštu ordered.  
  
Once again, Bill said nothing and the painful torture was repeated. Time after time Lamaštu forced unbearable pain on Bill's body until finally he gave in. He tried to tell her about Ea Nasir, but found that he was too weak to talk. Lamaštu ran her hands over his body and the pain melted away. She kissed his forehead and all traces of the headache disappeared. He found himself eager to tell her what she wanted to know.  
  
Having divulged all information he had on Ea Nasir, an act he regretted instantly, Lamaštu began asking him more questions. Refreshed from her strangely kind ministrations, he resisted her once again.  
  
Tired of toying with her prey, Lamaštu placed her index and middle fingers against Bill's temples. When she pulled her hand away, a green threadlike substance came out as well. Bill watched as she spun the threads around her fingers and pulled away from him. It looked like thoughts from a Pensieve, only green hued instead of silver. Lamaštu placed her fingers over her own temples and Bill stared helplessly as the threads were absorbed into her own head.  
  
"Why torture me like that when you could have pulled the information from my head in the first place?" Bill was angry, as well as emotionally and physically drained but he needed to know.  
  
Lamaštu laughed at him and stroked the side of his face with her cold, pale hand. "I so rarely have anyone to play with," she purred. "It's not often that I get a live one down here. I wanted to have some fun with you before..."  
  
"Before what?" Bill demanded, his voice weak, but firm.  
  
She shrugged a pale, shapely shoulder. "Before I kill you. I shall leave you, for now. I quite enjoyed playing with you, Bill Weasley of Gringotts. As long as you entertain me, I shall keep you alive."  
  
The room became enveloped in a sickly, green light so bright that Bill was blinded by it. When the light faded, Lamaštu was gone. Bill struggled against his chains but this only caused him to cough harder than before. He wrapped one arm around his chest to try and ease the pain in his ribs, and brought the other hand to his mouth.  
  
When the coughing fit ended, Bill looked down at his hand, which felt damp. It was covered in blood.  
  
**AN:** Last edited: June 10th, 2004. I uploaded the beta'd version.  
  
Thanks to Manraviel for beta'ing this for me!   
  
To Doublemint, thoughtlesswanderer (love your username, by the way!), Darcy16, dementorchic, MelissaAdams, GinnyYvetteHermione, Ylechan , Mynuet , JeanB, xmag (you have inspired me with the Indiana Jones comment, I might have to work that in somehow, thank you!), Iliana, Athena Linborn, QuIbBleR1, Rosa di Corte, creazy angel, lina, kaylee (for the hipppocamp tip;), Crystal Moon Magic (listing it as romance worked and for that tip I am eternally grateful!), Honoo-chan, mell8, Damia - Queen of the Gypsi's (is your name inspired by Damia Raven-Lyon by any chance?), Rivan Codex and iknowall - thank you! For your questions, comments and general cheering on of this story! You rock. If I haven't read or reviewed you yet, I promise I will soon!   
  
I know I just broke the laws of physics and fanfiction by having Author Notes that are longer then the story but, whatever:) I wanted to say thanks.   



	13. Early Morning Kiss

**Disclaimer: **You know the deal. JKRs world and people, not mine. No money being made, no offense intended, will put everybody back when I'm done.  
  
**The Curse-breaker's Sister  
Chapter 12**  
  
Ginny looked around at her new surroundings. She was in a tiny, low-lit room. A coffee table was pressing into the backs of her knees and if Draco hadn't been holding her so tightly, she would have fallen over it.  
  
"You all right?" he whispered.  
  
"Yes," she whispered back, even though she wasn't sure why they were talking so quietly. Her left ankle was throbbing. Ginny thought she had twisted it after leaping out of the hotel window. The muscles in her thighs still burned from all that running and her heart was beating a million miles an hour. All except the rapid heart rate could be attributed to the chase.  
  
Ginny pushed away from Draco, unaccustomed to being handled like that. She wasn't used to being close to people or having them hold her. Or having them stare at her in the dusky light of the setting sun, which was shining on them through the window.  
  
"Where are we?" she asked him, having put what she felt was a safe distance between them.  
  
"We're at my cottage."  
  
"Your cottage?"  
  
"Yes," Draco said. "It's not as big as the Manor, perhaps that's why I like it so much. Put the tablet down, I'll give you the nickel tour."  
  
Ginny carefully placed the amber tablet on the coffee table and followed Draco through the cottage. It was tiny, and Ginny thought, homely as well. The entire place emanated an aura of comfort. Thick, wooden ceiling beams just barely brushed the top of Draco's head. Similar wooden beams adorned the walls, as well. A tiny dining room contained a table shoved up against a window. It was a small room, but the view was amazing.  
  
It seemed that Draco's mystery cottage was by the sea. The kitchen and dining room windows both looked out over the water. Ginny followed Draco through the kitchen, the library, a bedroom barely big enough to house a bed, the bathroom and then back out into the living room.  
  
"It's not much," Draco said when the tour was over. "But I like it."  
  
"It's very cosy," Ginny told him.  
  
"Speaking of cosy, I should light the fire." Draco pointed his wand at the fireplace and a few moments later, a warm fire was burning in the hearth.  
  
They settled down on the couch. Ginny propped her injured ankle up on the coffee table, taking off her shoe and sock so she could get a look at it.  
  
When Draco saw what she was doing, he jumped out of his spot. "Did you hurt yourself? Why didn't you say so?" Concern and fear riddled his voice.  
  
"Draco, I'm fine. It's just a sprain. Nothing's broken."  
  
Draco pushed her hands away and carefully felt her ankle. Ginny winced. When he was done he announced that it wasn't broken, just badly bruised.  
  
"I've got just the thing for it," he told her. Draco ran out of the room and returned with a tin in his hand.  
  
"Mallory Malfoy's All Purpose Healing Goo," he told her, and then slathered a thick, yellow salve onto her ankle.  
  
"Ew, that smells, Draco. What's in there?"  
  
"I don't know, but by the time you wake up tomorrow morning, your bruises will be gone. There," he said, gently patting her ankle, "good as new. We'll put some more on before you go to sleep."  
  
"Thank you, Draco."  
  
"Think nothing of it," he told her.  
  
Ginny reached out and grabbed his hand with her own. "Not just for fixing my ankle, Draco. Thank you for everything. I thought we were done for in that alley. You saved my life."  
  
"I'm sure you would have done the same for me," Draco said. He squeezed her hand before returning the salve to the cupboard.  
  
The afternoon's events had exhausted Ginny. She was dozing on the couch when Draco returned. He gently shook her shoulder and told her that she could take the bed. It took some looking, but he finally found a pair of pyjamas for her to wear. None of their clothing had survived the trip to Mesopotamia and Ginny was not in a state to fetch more from home.  
  
Ginny was tired enough to let Draco tuck her in. She watched sleepily while he took some blankets out of a chest at the end of the bed.  
  
"I'll take the couch," he told her. "Sleep well, Ginny, and don't worry. The cottage is fully warded. Nothing will bother us here."  
  
She smiled at him and then buried her face into the pillow. She was asleep before Draco left the room.  
  
Draco made himself as comfortable as he could on the couch. In the end, he had to transfigure it to make it long enough for his entire body. Before he settled down to sleep, he checked the house over once more, making sure the wards really were up and that nothing could possibly get in. He was taking no chances, not with Ginny in the house.  
  
He too fell asleep soon after his head hit the pillow. His dreams were full of mysterious, faceless men that chased him through an underground labyrinth made of stone. The walls were damp and every room he went in smelled like mould. He was chasing something, but couldn't remember what. Then he heard a scream, a high-pitched woman's scream that jolted him back to reality.  
  
Draco sat up so fast that he rolled off the couch, his chin barely missing the corner of the coffee table. The screaming from his dream could still be heard and it took his sleep-addled mind a few moments to realize that the screams were real. They were coming from Ginny.  
  
"Ginny!" he called out, running towards the bedroom.  
  
His quilt was still wrapped around his feet. After a few steps, he tripped over it, and crashed to the floor. His feet scrambled against the blanket as he stood up and ran forward. With every step he took, Ginny's screams grew louder and louder.  
  
But she was still asleep.  
  
The sheets were tangled at the bottom of the bed and the feather pillow was flung against a wall. Ginny lay on the bed, her arms, and legs flailing, all the while screaming at the top of her lungs. He climbed up on the bed beside her, getting punched in the face in return for his efforts, and tried to calm her down.  
  
Eventually she relaxed and the screaming stopped. Draco tried to wake her but she remained sleeping. He untangled her bed sheets and pulled the comforter over her. Very gently, he lifted her head and placed the pillow back under it. She was breathing deeply now and was still asleep. Draco sat beside her on the bed. He smoothed her hair back from her face. Ginny seemed to sense his presence and curled up against him.  
  
It was instinct to reach out and put an arm around her. He thought nothing of it. Neither did Ginny as she snuggled even closer to him, one hand clutching his pyjama top.  
  
Draco sat there for a long time, listening to the steady rhythm of her breathing. The sky outside the window was turning pink when he finally decided to go back to his couch and try and get some sleep. Unfortunately, Ginny had other plans. Every time Draco tried to get up and leave, she held on to him tighter, mumbling his name in her sleep.  
  
He finally gave up on leaving, pulled a corner of the comforter over himself and curled up next to her. Sleep overcame him once more, and this time he dreamed of sunshine, fields full of grass and the warmth that enveloped his entire body.  
  
Draco woke up to a face full of sunshine and an arm full of a beautiful woman. It took him a few seconds to register why he was curled up in bed with Ginny Weasley. Looking at her sleeping peacefully, it was hard to imagine her kicking and screaming like she had been the night before.  
  
He reached out and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. Her eyelids fluttered a bit, but she didn't wake up. Draco snuggled closer to her and rested his forehead against hers.  
  
"Ginny, wake up," he whispered. When she didn't move, he whispered to her again. "Ginny, it's time to wake up."  
  
Here eyes opened slowly, the dark red lashes fluttering against her pale skin. Draco was never sure what possessed him to do what he did next, but somehow it just seemed like the right thing to do.  
  
He brushed his lips up against hers and kissed her.  
  
Ginny's arms snaked up around his neck and she pressed herself closer to him. Draco was surprised and thrilled when Ginny responded to him. He had expected Ginny to wake up and push him away, not wrap her arms around him and kiss him back.  
  
A curious sensation radiated through Ginny's body. It was both scary and sweet. Her heart beat quickened and her breath lodged in her throat when she opened her eyes and realized she was kissing Draco Malfoy.  
  
And she liked it.  
**  
Author Notes: **Got around to adding the beta'd version on June 18th. Sorry for the delay! Thank you, Manraviel, for another fantastic editing job!  
  



	14. Beachcombers

**Disclaimer:** If you don't know the deal by now, ten points from whatever house you belong to! Ginny, Draco, Bill and crew are property of the ever-illustrious JKRowling. I solemnly swear to put them back nicely when I'm done. No offense intended, no money being made.  
  
**The Curse-breaker's Sister   
Chapter 13**  
  
Her hands, once entwined in Draco's hair, pushed Draco away from her. She sat up and scrambled away from him. For the second time that morning, Draco fell out of bed.  
  
"What the hell do you think you are doing, Malfoy!" she demanded.  
  
Draco was speechless. He stood up slowly, rubbing his elbow, which had taken the brunt of his fall.  
  
"Draco?" she said, after a few minutes of silence. "You look like you've been hit with a stunner. What is going on here! Why are we in bed together?"  
  
"You were screaming and you woke me up. I came to see what was wrong, but you were asleep, I couldn't wake you. I stayed with you while you fell asleep, and don't you look all angry at me, Ginny Weasley, because it was you that wouldn't let me go."  
  
Ginny stared at him angrily from her spot on the bed.  
  
"And I won't apologize for kissing you, either. I didn't mean to do it, but I'm not sorry for it. I was half asleep and didn't know what I was doing."  
  
The silence was oppressing. Ginny was mulling his words over in her mind and Draco was trying to decide whether he should say something more.  
  
"I shouldn't have yelled at you," Ginny said somberly. It was the closest she would get to apologizing. "Is your elbow okay?"  
  
"Yes, it's fine. Are you okay?"  
  
"Yes," answered Ginny, climbing out of bed. "I'm okay."  
  
The stood toe to toe in the tiny room, Ginny staring up at Draco. An uncomfortable silence fell upon them; neither knew what to say next.  
  
"Breakfast?" Draco asked.  
  
"Sounds wonderful."  
  
Pajama clad, they made their way to the kitchen. Draco made breakfast while Ginny set the tiny table.  
  
"Do you often have nightmares?"  
  
The question caught Ginny off guard. She'd managed to shove the terrors of the night before to the back of her mind and forget about them. She shook her head softly before answering.  
  
"Not often. Since Bill's gone, though..."  
  
"What was it about? Sometimes it helps if you talk about it."  
  
Ginny put down her fork. "I dreamt I was back in Mesopotamia, in the hotel room. Those men were there. I was paralyzed, couldn't move, couldn't use magic. I was so afraid I could taste it! I felt like I was dying, like I was sick." Ginny's voice shook with fear. "It was so hard to move. And the room was full of this green mist, not a nice green, a sickly green and it was all around me, pressing in on me. It was terrible!"  
  
"You were screaming really loudly..." Draco reminded her quietly.  
  
"I remember screaming because I was dying. I couldn't move, but I could open my mouth. I didn't even mean to scream, I just opened my mouth and those sounds came out...I'm. I'm sorry I woke you up." What Ginny didn't tell him, was that she'd been screaming in her dream because Draco was dead. Screaming because she was paralyzed and couldn't get to him.  
  
"That's all right. Do you often freak out when you wake up in bed with a man?" Draco knew he was pushing his luck, but part of him wanted to know why Ginny was so mad about kissing him this morning.  
  
Ginny wasn't going to answer him, but something in his voice told her meant it as a friend, and not to be rude or cruel.  
  
"Hugh," she said.  
  
Draco looked at her questioningly.  
  
"My ex fiancé? He. We. We didn't have much of a relationship. Things weren't very good between us. I don't know. Would you pass the syrup please?"  
  
Draco pushed the syrup across the table and Ginny used it to drown her pancakes. She picked up her fork again and began shredding her pancakes into tiny pieces.  
  
"He wasn't very nice you know. He wasn't good at being affectionate. I didn't like it, didn't like him."  
  
Draco said nothing for fear of Ginny stopping this outpouring of words and emotion.  
  
He made me do things," she continued. "Not like Tom, though. Never like Tom. He did it because it was what we should be doing, not because we wanted to. He was so caught up in appearances. Other peoples perceptions meant everything to him. I hated him!"  
  
"Then why did you stay with him?"  
  
"I told you already, it was the middle of the war, I thought one or both of us would die and it would never matter. Besides, my parents liked him."  
  
"What about the rest of your family?"  
  
"Oh, Hugh didn't like my family at all. He got along with Percy, of course. Percy was the one that introduced us. The rest of them? Hell no. The twins bullied him, Charlie and Bill constantly took the mickey out of him because he never picked up on it, and Ron treated him as almost non-existent because they worked in 'rival' departments at the Ministry." Ginny stabbed with her knife at her now uneatable pancakes. "Why are we talking about this, anyway?"  
  
Draco shrugged and piled a fresh stack onto Ginny's plate.  
  
After breakfast, Draco suggested a walk. He took Ginny on a tour of his property and eventually they wound up wandering along the seashore. The early afternoon sunlight glinted off the ocean. Ginny had long abandoned shoes for running through the waves bare foot. Her pockets were full of seashells and pretty stones she'd found laying on the sand.  
  
"Draco, come here. I need your pockets."  
  
He looked at her –and her over stuffed pockets– and grinned. "What is it with women who only want me for my pockets?" But he obliged her and let her put a few shells and a dried up starfish in his pocket. "Just make sure you save some for next time!"  
  
Ginny looked up at him and smiled. Sunlight filtered through his silver- blond hair and his eyes shone with happiness. This was not the Draco Malfoy from Hogwarts; it wasn't even the newly repented Draco Malfoy of the _Second War_. This was some different creature, somebody whose company she enjoyed.  
  
By the time they turned back to the house, the sun was hugging the horizon. Ginny picked up the odd shell here and there, but was content to leave the rest for another day at the beach.  
  
They walked back to the house in a companionable silence, strolling side by side. Every other step, or so, the backs of their hands brushed up against each other. Draco reached out and took Ginny's hand, holding it lightly in his in case she wanted to pull away. She didn't. She didn't look at him, either, but that was all right with Draco. She was holding his hand, and that was enough for him.  
**  
AN:** Unedited, _alors_, please excuse any and all rogue commas and the wacked out verb tenses. Concrit welcome. Have a good weekend!  



	15. Demons At Large

**Diclaimer: ** Draco and Ginny and Bill (oh my!) belong to JK Rowling. No ofense intended, no money being made.  
  
**The Curse-breaker's Sister  
Chapter 14**  
  
Yarik groveled before his master, knowing that no matter how hard he pressed himself into the floor, it wouldn't be low enough to appease his master's anger. Estrada was already dead and Yarik longed to follow him into death. Anything was better then the torture he was enduring at the hands of Emsaf.  
  
Ea Nasir was a fair master, a good master – if you obeyed his orders. Fail him and you found yourself praying to any god or goddess that listened.  
  
"They were easy prey!" Nasir shouted, his voice reverberating throughout the dungeon.  
  
"Master, I'm-"  
  
"Silence you FOOL! I am tired of listening to your petty excuses, your feeble reasons for coming back empty handed. I expected such nonsense from Estrada, but not from you, Yarik. I had plans for you, Yarik. You could have gone far."  
  
Had plans. Could have gone far. Nasir's choice in verb tense caused Yarik's prayers to increase in passion, and volume.  
  
"I said SILENCE!"  
  
Yarik was unable to help himself, he babbled on, beseeching any deity that could hear his plea's to save him.  
  
"Emsaf, his tongue."  
  
Those three simple words caused Emsaf's face to light up with glee. He removed a sickle shaped blade from his belt and knelt down beside Yarik's head, one of his fat knees firmly placed between the slave's shoulders. With one hand, he grabbed a fist full of Yarik's hair and yanked his head back; the other hand was caressing the highly polished blade. A crook of Ea Nasir's finger and Yarik found his tongue extending out of his mouth. He tried to control it, but could not. Nasir used strong magic and Yarik was powerless to move against it.  
  
Yarik was sobbing now, his prayers unintelligible. Saliva dripped down his chin and mingled with the tears now flowing from his eyes.  
  
Emsaf ran the blade lightly across the top of Yarik's tongue. Yarik felt the sting of steel and tasted blood, could feel it's sticky warmth dripping down his chin. He watched fearfully as Emsaf licked the blade before taking it to his tongue again. Yarik squirmed under Emsaf's knee but his efforts were useless.  
  
The blade was brought to his tongue again. Yarik tried to ready himself for the pain...but it never came.  
  
Draco was off 'somewhere' taking care of 'things'; things which he refused to elaborate on. He had left Ginny alone at his house for the afternoon with nothing to entertain her but books. She'd already flipped through several atlas's and an illustrated dictionary of Mesopotamian gods and goddesses. At the moment, she was reading a treatise on the Island of Atlantis. The colourful pictures combined with her active imagination meant she could visualize it happening in her mind.  
  
_ According to legend, Poseidon, God of the Sea, created Atlantis to be  
the most powerful and technologically advanced empire in the world.  
Legend goes on to tell how Atlantis thrived for three thousand years  
before an earthquake sent it into the sea.  
  
Only part of that legend is true.  
  
Gods are known by many names, and the god known as Poseidon, was once  
Ea, the Sumerian Water God. It was Ea that created Atlantis as a  
marvel of technology and architecture. And it was Ea that caused its  
destruction.  
  
What had started as a beautiful, powerful city and quickly turned into  
a cesspool of evil and destruction. Fallen gods, known as demons,  
took over the empire, preying on innocent citizens, killing thousands.  
Disgusted by the state of his city, Ea rescued what people he could  
and banished the Island of Atlantis to the ocean.  
  
With it sunk the demons and demonesses that had haunted it for three  
thousand years. Ea used powerful magic to prevent the demons from  
escaping. He created a barrier around the city and all it contained.  
Atlantis was sent to the bottom of the sea and there it has sat for  
the past 3000 years...  
_  
Ginny marked her page and placed the book she was reading on the coffee table. Though she normally enjoyed reading, she was feeling restless. Rather then sit around all day she opted to go for another walk along the beach. Perhaps Draco would be back when she returned...  
  
_ Until one day there came a person who raised Atlantis. Though the  
island was sent, once again, to it's watery grave, the barrier  
surrounding it remained weak and it could no longer contain the evil  
it had enclosed for millennia...._  
  
Lamaštu had already sent her minions through those barriers once before, and tonight she went through them herself. Yes, she could have sent her slaves to do the job, but slaves made mistakes. She would capture Ea Nasir herself.  
  
The journey was arduous and uncomfortable. It took hours to break through the barrier and travel to the surface. Her powerful magic allowed her to transfigure a chair into a wooden boat, which her slaves hitched to the goat-fish. They pulled her up to the surface, and once on land, her boat changed into a chariot and the goat-fish into donkeys that pulled her across the sky towards Ur.  
  
Yarik prepared for the worst, but was saved when the back wall of the dungeon exploded, bricks, and chunks of stone flying everywhere. A sickly, green light permeated the room. An unseen force connected with Ea Nasir and he flew back off his chair, slamming into a stone podium. Emsaf was torn between fulfilling his orders and seeing if his master was all right. He looked regretfully at his blade, and then at Yarik's tongue before crawling towards Ea Nasir.  
  
Yarik was thankful. The magic that had bound him was gone. He tried to stand up, but his legs were like wet noodles and refused to support his weight. Instead, he dragged himself along the floor using his arms, thanking the gods and goddesses with his bloody tongue all the while.  
  
Yarik did not make it to the door, nor did Emsaf make it to his master. Both had crawled only a few feet away when they found themselves paralyzed and floating in the air. Yarik could feel invisible ropes wrap tightly around his wrists and ankles. His neck was immobile, but he could just see Emsaf out of the side of his eyes and he too, was hung in the air as if bound by invisible ropes.  
  
At first, she was a shadow walking in the darkness, a black wraith making her way through the dungeon. But then Yarik could see her. Incandescent skin, glowing palely in the sick, green light of the room. She was barely dressed, this woman, and she looked like a...  
  
"Goddess!" Yarik called out. "Goddess, you have come to save me!"  
  
Then the goddess looked at him and Yarik knew true fear. The fear that now coursed through him caused his muscles to shake, and his eyes to roll back into his head was nothing on the fear he felt earlier. His torture at the hands of Emsaf paled in comparison to the oily waves of evil that were washing over him now.  
  
Yarik's prayers for death were finally answered. With a wave of her hand, Lamaštu ended his life and cast his body down onto the floor. Her minions watched him, their red eyes flashing hungrily and looked to their mistress for permission before pouncing on the body.  
  
Lamaštu allowed her slaves to deal with the bodies of Emsaf and Yarik, she had no time for them. She wanted to deal with Ea Nasir.  
  
Nasir was quivering in the corner, a pile of leathery yellow skin and broken bones. He tried to reach for his magic, the ancient source of power that he had relied on for thousands of years but it was blocked from him. The pain was torturous, he could sense his magic, just beyond his reach, but he could not connect with it. A slick taint surrounded it and prevented him from harnessing that power.  
  
"Foolish human," he heard a husky, female voice say. He watched as a tall woman walked towards him through the green, vaporous light.  
  
"How dare you steal the staff of Lamaštu," she told him. "How dare you think you can steal my staff and get away with it!"  
  
"You...a-are...Lamaštu?" Nasir could barely manage a whisper.  
  
An explosion of white light filled the room. Nasir tried to close his eyes to the blinding rays, but couldn't. Before him stood the demoness Lamaštu in her true form. A lions head roared at him, its wide-open mouth bearing the teeth of a donkey. She wore no clothing. Her hairy body was stained with blood; a piglet and a puppy were suckling at her naked breasts. Snakes coiled and writhed around her neck, a living necklace. What had once been a pair of shapely feet were now the talons of eagles, twisted and yellow.  
  
Another flash of light and this time Nasir was left blinking in its brightness. The ugly demoness was gone and the beautiful woman was before him once more.  
  
"I believe that answers your question, mortal. Now, you will tell me where the Anbar of Atlantis is."  
  
Ea Nasir did not answer. He had fainted.  
  
Draco returned home late that evening. Ginny was walking up from the beach when he Apparated on the front porch.  
  
"More sea shells?" Draco called out by way of greeting.  
  
"Just a few really pretty ones. I have some ideas for a beach inspired line of jewelry."  
  
They were side by side, now, Draco having walked down the path a ways to meet her. He slung a friendly arm around her shoulder and they walked the rest of the way to the house in silence.  
  
After dinner, they retired to the living room with hot chocolate. Draco wanted to plan their next move, but Ginny was more concerned with why they were attacked.  
  
"I don't know," Draco said thoughtfully. His heart was beating out of control and he hoped Ginny couldn't see it pounding beneath his shirt. He knew full well why they were attacked, and who it was that sent the attackers. If Ginny found out he knew...she'd never forgive him and the thought of that made him sick.  
  
"I have a theory," Ginny said slowly. "I think we were attacked because of the tablet."  
  
Draco knew she was right, but for the sake of his charade, he asked, "Why makes you think that?"  
  
"Call it women's intuition, call it a hunch but I think we aren't the only people looking for Bill. The Ministry is obviously doing something, or Ron wouldn't have talked to me last week. I just don't think the Ministry would trash our hotel room like that."  
  
"Or chase us through down town Ur," Draco added sardonically. "What about Gringotts? You did harass them quite a bit."  
  
"Goblins would never hire men to work for them. Never. They do all their work themselves. No, it wasn't Gringotts. I think, well, this might sound silly but...I think it was Bill's boss."  
  
"Ea- exactly what I was thinking." Draco hoped Ginny didn't notice his almost slip-up. He was not supposed to know the name of Bill's boss.  
  
"I mean, once I figured out who he was, I sent him a lot of Howlers. And though I don't want to believe this, maybe the table is his and Bill stole it?"  
  
"We won't know until we find Bill," Draco said. "Which brings us back to what are we going to do next."  
  
"Mesopotamia is out of the question," Ginny said with a laugh. "I don't want to go back their anytime soon."  
  
"I was thinking we could to Thamugadi."  
  
"Thama-what?"  
  
"Thamugadi, the ancient library in Carthage. It's an amazing place, Ginny! You think the Athenaeum has a loot of books, wait to you see Thamugadi! It has the most complete collection of scrolls, parchments, and books on ancient civilizations in the Wizarding world. The observatory there is just amazing, you can look at what the night sky looked at thousands of years ago, if you want to. And there's this-"  
  
"Slow down, Draco!" Ginny said, laughing. "You sound like a living advertisement for this place. I've never heard of it, but you've obviously been there before."  
  
Draco nodded. "I've been there plenty of times, researching things for Malfoy International. I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier. If any place will have information on the Eyes of Ningal, this place will."  
  
**Authors Notes:** I'd like to thank the academy, er, I mean. YOU!  
  
Totally unbeta'd because. Well. People asked for it. Which makes me blush! Please don't' read that last line and think, "OMG, she is one of those authors who refuses to update until each chapter as been RnR'd 44 times, WTF!!!!111!." Because I am not! I've just been beta-ing for others a lot (oh the stories I can recommend!) and as it's the summer time, my beta s are out enjoying themselves rather then staying inside and making my stories beautiful!)  
  
Anyroad, two major problems w/this chapter. If you can pick them out, I'll give you a prize! (Gmail invite, anybody?) 


	16. Ginny the Jealous

**Disclaimer: **Not mine. Not yours, either, unless you are JK Rowling in which case, hi! You rock my socks;)**  
  
The Curse-breaker's Sister   
Chapter 15**  
  
Ginny stood on a giant rock and surveyed her surroundings. She was on a plateau, high in the Aurès Mountains of Algeria. They had Disapparated in Timgad early that morning and hiked up to the plateau in the afternoon. They were in a giant, green valley encircled by mountains. A break in the mountains contained a path that led to Thamugadi.  
  
Draco raised his hand and Ginny took it, hopping off her the stone.  
  
"It's beautiful up here, Draco. I wish we were here under different circumstances."  
  
"Me too." And Draco meant it. "Once we've found Bill, we'll come back and enjoy the view."  
  
They walked hand in hand towards Thamugadi. Draco chatting pleasantly about Thamugadi along the way.  
  
"It was founded by the emperor Trajan in AD 100. An ancient Roman wizard, Quintianus Rogatianus paid for it."  
  
Ginny smiled and said nothing. It was obvious to her that Draco felt very passionately about this place, so she let him talk. She liked listening to him, his voice was very pleasant, and it no longer had the condescending tones he'd used while at Hogwarts.  
  
"Quintianus believed in the perpetuation of knowledge, he left enough money behind that it's still funding the library, 1900 years later."  
  
They walked up a sandy path between two columns of white limestone. A horseshoe shaped portico formed the entry into a semicircular central room. A large, mahogany desk took up most of the space. Ginny peered beyond it – and the witch that sat behind it – into a large room bustling with witches and wizards.  
  
One of the bustling witches turned and looked towards the entranceway. Ginny watched as her eyes lit up at the site of Draco. She started walking towards them. Draco obviously recognized her as he smiled and waved her over.  
  
"Thérèse, darling! Lovely to see you." Draco embraced her lightly and gave her two chaste kisses, on one each cheek.  
  
Ginny's eyes narrowed at this Thérèse woman with the long legs and the slow grin but she said nothing.  
  
"Ahh, Draco! Eet has been so long since you came here! I vuz beginning to wonder eef I would ever see you again!" Thérèse kissed Draco's cheeks in return, her mouth lingering there a little too long for Ginny's liking. "Thérèse, this is Ginny, we're on a bit of a mission together, and I'm hoping you can help us out."  
  
"Anything for you, darling."  
  
Ginny was certain that Thérèse winked at Draco after saying that. She didn't like this French witch or her too short skirt, her too tight shirt, or the sassy red beret perched on her head. Why, she hadn't even acknowledged Ginny's presence! The famous Weasley temper plucked at the edges of Ginny's mind. She pushed it back into hiding, though. If she wanted to rescue Bill, she couldn't very well hex the librarian helping her into oblivion.  
  
Lost in thought, Ginny didn't realize that Draco and Thérèse and walked off without her. Ginny looked around, but couldn't see them. She wandered into the main library, scanning the aisles for a familiar silver-blonde head.  
  
"Ginny, there you are!" Draco said, smiling down at her. He took her hand in his and led her down an aisle. "Thérèse is going to find us a private study room and help us look for the books we need."  
  
"Brilliantl," Ginny said in a clipped voice.  
  
"You okay?" Draco asked, puzzled.  
  
"I'm fine," Ginny lied. "Just a bit tired from that long walk."  
  
Draco smiled at her and caressed her cheek with his free hand. "It was a long walk, but it was worth it for the view, wasn't it?"  
  
He looked so happy, so caring, that Ginny couldn't help but smile back at him. The moment was ruined, however, when Thérèse called out to them that she'd found a room. From the look on her face, she had had to call several times. She was staring impatiently at Draco with piercing green eyes. Ginny was given an appraising once-over, short, but thorough. The look on Thérèse' face plainly stated that she did not view Ginny as competition.  
  
Thérèse led them into a study room, all the while prattling away at Draco in her French accent. Ginny followed behind them a few paces, wondering what a combination of the Bat Bogey Hex and the Jelly Legs Jinx would do a certain flirty, French woman.  
  
Once she was certain Draco was comfortable, Thérèse left to find the books they needed. Draco unpacked his duffel bag, unrolling scrolls they'd made earlier. Ginny placed the bag with the tablet in it on the chair beside her. She was reluctant to bring it out in the open unless absolutely necessary. For now they would work from the sketches she had made.  
  
"Did you know that this is the only wizarding library in the Roman Empire west of Italy?" Draco asked her.  
  
"No, I didn't," Ginny answered, bemused. "You really do like this place."  
  
"Yes, I do. It's truly amazing. I'd stay here for weeks, just reading the ancient scrolls, if I could."  
  
"And he has before," Thérèse said laughing. "I vood come in early in ze mornings and find him here, asleep over a pile of books. So dedicated to his work." Thérèse placed a beautifully manicured hand on Draco's shoulder. "Here are some of ze books you are looking for. Is there anything else I can get for you?"  
  
"No thank you, Thérèse. This should do. You've been a tremendous help."  
  
"Are you sure?" she asked, arching an elegant eyebrow. "For old times sake?"  
  
Draco was already engrossed in the first book. He barely looked up at her when he said, "No, but thanks! We'll call if we need anything."  
  
Thérèse lingered for a moment more. Before she turned to go, she fixed Ginny with a purely jealous glare and then spun around on her boot heels and sashayed out of the room. Her dramatic exit was lost on Draco, who was now pointing excitedly at something in his book.  
  
He looked up at Ginny, expecting her to be thrilled. His face fell a little when he realized she didn't' share his excitement. "What's wrong, Gin?"  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. "It's nothing. What's got you so excited?"  
  
Draco closed the book and pushed it away from him. "Really, Ginny. What's wrong? You've been acting odd since we walked in here. What is it?" His voice was concerned and slightly hurt sounding, too.  
  
Ginny sighed loudly and tried her best not to cross her arms over her chest and huff like she was a little girl. "Thérèse spent more time looking at you then she did for the books we were looking for."  
  
"Why Ginny Weasley, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous!"  
  
Ginny fixed him with a stare that put Thérèse' earlier glares to shame.  
  
"I was kidding, Ginny."  
  
"Good." Ginny reached for a scroll and unraveled it, effectively putting an end to any conversation they might have had.  
  
Draco shrugged and went back to his book, though something was tickling the back of his mind. He thought back to what Ginny had said about Thérèse, that she'd spent more time looking at him then at books. Thérèse had been flirting with him, as usual, and Draco ignored her subtle attempts at getting him alone with her, as usual. He didn't realized it had bothered Ginny so much.  
  
That thought made him grin. He was getting somewhere with Ginny after all!  
  
"What are you smiling about?" she asked him, her voice curt. "Solved the mystery, have we?"  
  
Draco was too happy to let her sarcasm get to him. He flipped the book around so she'd be able to read it and pushed it towards her.  
  
"Check this out," he pointed to a group of cuneiform symbols written on the page. "It's the exact same symbols used on our tablet. We can finally interpret the bloody thing! If you look at the bottom here, there is a guide to the different accents and even proper pronunciation."  
  
Tears of joy, and relief, filled Ginny's eyes. She reached across the table and threw her arms around Draco.  
  
"Hey, don't cry. This is a good thing!"  
  
"I know!" Ginny's voice was muffled, her face pressed into his neck. "I'm happy!"  
  
"Funny way of showing it," Draco said smiling.  
  
Ginny broke away from him and looked at him across the table. "Thank you," she said in a heart felt voice.  
  
"We've not translated it yet," Draco said gruffly. "Where's the sketch?"  
  
Ginny wiped a few rogue tears from her eyes before passing Draco the sketch of the tablet.  
  
"Here," he said, pushing a cracked, red leather book towards her. "I'll translate while you look up the location of the Eyes of Ningal."  
  
Fifteen scrolls and five hours later Draco and Ginny had successfully translated the incantation on the tablet as well as mapped out the location of the Eyes of Ningal. From there, they had extrapolated where they needed to go next.  
  
They were going to Atlantis.  
  
**Author Notes:** What I said before. :)  



	17. A Magic Carpet Ride

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his people, in this case, Draco and Ginny and Bill, belong to JK Rowling, not me. No offense intended, no money being made.  
  
The Curse-breaker's Sister   
Chapter 16  
  
They were going to Atlantis.  
  
Ginny had paled a bit when Draco announced their destination. She was silent for a few moments before speaking. "That's so strange," she told him quietly.  
  
"Strange?" he asked. "Why so? I thought you'd be excited."  
  
"Oh, believe me, I am excited, but this Atlantis bit, well, it's a bit odd. I read a lot of books while you were out the other night; one of them was about Atlantis. The funny thing is, it told the legend from a Mesopotamian point of view. That's why I read it, because we'd just returned from there."  
  
Draco looked perplexed. "What did the book say?"  
  
"Just that there was a correlation between the Greek and Roman gods, that they were derivations of the original gods, Mesopotamian ones. It said the god Ea cursed Atlantis and sent it under the ocean because it was haunted by demons. Ea made a barrier around it that would keep the demons in, protecting the people that lived on the earth from harm."  
  
"Any mention of Ugarit in your reading?"  
  
"Ugarit? No, nothing about that. What's Ugarit? A town? A demon?"  
  
"A city, sort of. Ugarit was the capital of the Ugarit kingdom, 2000 years ago. It's on the Mediterranean coast. It's supposed to be beautiful, but I've never been there. Nothing left of it but ruins. And the portal to Atlantis."  
  
"I guess we're going to Ugarit, then," Ginny said. She began to pack up their belongings.  
  
"Don't pack yet, we've still got to write down the incantation. And figure out how we're going to get there."  
  
"Can't we Apparate?" Ginny asked.  
  
"I don't think so. I don't know where it is, who knows where we'd end up. Here," he said, pushing a blank roll of parchment towards her, "you make a good copy of the incantation, I'll see about getting us to Ugarit."  
  
Ginny made three careful copies of the incantation. The first was a copy of exactly what Draco had written down earlier, minus the ink smudges and crossed out words. The second was a phonetic version that they could use as a pronunciation guide. The third was what the incantation translated into English. Ginny felt it would be helpful to know what it was they were saying.  
  
The first part of the translation was purely instructional.  
  
On the day before the moon is full, when lunar power is the strongest, Atlantis will rise again. The second section contained the chant.  
  
Hear my cries, Ningal, moon goddess. Hear my prayers, Sîn, god of the moon. Give me that which I desire, Mot and Anat. By your powers combined, I command Atlantis to rise from the sea!  
  
Ginny put down her quill and looked at the words she had just written. It didn't seem like anything special. Colin Creevey had written her better love poems while they were at Hogwarts together, even his tenderhearted missives had been better then this.  
  
She flipped through one of the reference books Thérèse had provided. Like Ningal and Sîn, Mot and Anat were moon gods. Maybe there was some sort of connection between it all.  
  
Ginny didn't have time to purpose that thought any further as Draco returned, Thérèse in tow.  
  
"Thérèse is going to help us get to Ugarit!" he exclaimed.  
  
"That's wonderful. Thank you, Thérèse."  
  
Thérèse fluttered her long, blonde eyelashes at Draco. "Anything for an old friend," she purred.  
  
Draco ignored her and started packing up their scrolls.  
  
"Get the translation done al right?" he asked Ginny.  
  
"Yes," she told him. "Three copies."  
  
"Perfect! We've got to hurry, though. Algie's Algerian Rugs closes in an hour. He's all the way back in Timgad, we're going to have to hustle."  
  
Thérèse put her hand on top of Draco's. "Draco, I already offer to have you stay at my house. Ve can go out for dinner, eet will be fun! Then I will take you to Uncle Algie's tomorrow, oui?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Thérèse, no can do. I appreciate all your help, but Ginny and I are in a bit of a rush, aren't we Gin!'"  
  
"Uh, yes, that's right."  
  
Thérèse stood back from Draco, allowing him to pack. She watched them both with her arms crossed and a sulky pout marring her otherwise pretty features.  
  
"I suppose eef you are not going to stay, I could let you use the libraries connection to ze Algerian Floo Network. Then you vould get to Uncle Algie's before he closes."  
  
Thérèse was definitely not happy about Draco leaving, but she was polite when saying good-bye. She tried to kiss Draco on the lips, an incident which he managed to avoid by ducking away at the last second. Thérèse ended up kissing the collar of his shirt and did not look happy about it.  
  
Ginny went first. Draco was afraid to leave her alone with Thérèse. Not that he was afraid for Ginny. He was afraid of what Ginny would do to Thérèse if the French librarian said anything out of line.  
  
They arrived at Algie's Algerian Rugs in one piece, though Draco was covered in soot. Ginny helped to dust him off, commenting on the state of the Algerian Floo Network.  
  
"It wasn't the network," Draco said quietly. "It was a parting gift from Thérèse."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry about that," she managed to say in between giggles.  
  
The sound of her laughter alerted Algie to their presence.  
  
"You must be Malfoy," said a deeply tanned, and very wrinkled old man. "Welcome to Algie's Algerian Rugs. Call me Uncle Algie."  
  
"I'm Draco, Draco Malfoy. And this is my...friend Ginny Weasley. We'd like to rent a flying carpet."  
  
"I don't do rentals, but I have some nice models I can sell to you. Come on 'round back."  
  
The rug itself was stunning. Intricately woven threads of golds and yellows created an eye-catching pattern that according to Algie, 'Anybody would want to display in their house', but that was beside the point. The carpet flew and that's all that mattered.  
  
Not only did it fly, but it came with an invisibility option and built in back-seat pillows, guaranteed not to fall off! It was also large enough to carry both Ginny and Draco and their belongings.  
  
It took Ginny a while to release her death grip on Draco's arm and lean over the edge far enough to look at the land below. Once she got over her fears, she began to enjoy the ride. Draco had managed to get an English speaking station to play on the in-carpet wireless network and was absently singing along with the music. Sometimes he'd point out places on the landscape below them. Mountains, castles, and occasionally an oasis in the dessert below.  
  
"Ever flown by carpet before?" Draco asked her, mid-flight. He'd set the carpet to autopilot and was lounging on one of the built in cushions.  
  
"Never. They're banned in Britain, you know that."  
  
Draco grinned at her, and for a moment he looked like the snide, blood- proud prat he'd been as a child.  
  
"Let me guess," Ginny continued. "That didn't stop the Malfoy's from having a flying carpet."  
  
"You know me too well."  
  
"I did get to ride in a flying car once."  
  
"Before or after Potter's run-in with the Whomping Willow."  
  
"Before. I caught Fred and George sneaking out one night. Being a nosy little sister, I followed. They took me with them on a short trip around Devon in exchange for my silence."  
  
"It must have been fun, growing up with all those brothers and sisters," Draco said wistfully.  
  
"Oh yeah, loads of fun! Siblings mean there is always somebody to boss you around, take the biggest pancakes at breakfast or short-sheet your bed."  
  
"At least you weren't lonely."  
  
"Lonely? With Crabbe and Goyle around all the time? With Pansy Parkinson hanging off your arm?"  
  
"That's not what I meant. I was thinking more along the lines of family. You know what my father was like."  
  
Ginny nodded. How could she forget Lucius Malfoy, the man responsible for the disastrous events of her first year at Hogwarts.  
  
"Anyway," continued Draco. "Let's not dwell on the past when we should be looking to the future." He draped an arm around Ginny's shoulder and pointed to the sky in front of them.  
  
In the distance, blue-green waves lapped at a sandy beach. Ginny could see the ruins of old cities on the ground below. The carpet began its ascent and a few minutes later, landed by a crumbling, granite wall.  
  
"After you," Draco said, allowing Ginny to step off the carpet first.  
  
The moment they lifted the last bag off the carpet, it flipped up off the ground and rolled itself up.  
  
"Algie said we can use it as a tent, but I thought we'd do some exploring first, before it got too dark," Draco said.  
  
"Good idea. According to the lunar calendar, it's three days before the full moon. We've got some time to explore. Or at least find a safe place to set up camp"  
  
"Lumos," Draco said, and the tip of his wand started to glow. "Shall we?"  
  
Author Notes: Actually, I don't have any. Unedited (for the moment) beyond me pretending I was beta'ing somebody else's work:) And apparently, the new FireFox (v. 0.9 and otherwise a very sexy browser indeed) is not friends with FF.net and I can't bold anything. Sorry, folks!  



	18. Moonlight

**Disclaimer:** Draco, Ginny and Bill (and the Universe they come from, any other Weasley siblings, Harry Potter (if I ever get around to mentioning him) belong to JK Rowling. No offense intended, no money being made.  
  
**The Curse-breaker's   
Sister Chapter 17**  
  
It was soon to dark to explore, even by the light of their wands, so Ginny and Draco went back to the carpet and set up camp. Ginny set protective wards around their campsite while Draco put together a late supper.  
  
Uncle Algie's rug turned out to be more then just a method of transportation. If you tickled one of the embroidered flowers, the rug would convert itself into a tent. There was just enough room for Draco, Ginny, and their bags.  
  
Neither was tired, so rather then sleep, they sat outside their tent sipping a weak wine Draco had conjured from the water they'd brought.  
  
"There's Serpens Caput."  
  
"Serpent what?"  
  
"Serpens Caput, the serpents tail. One of the constellations. See those three bright stars all in a row? That's the end of the tail and it curves down and to the left. That's the rest of it."  
  
"What else do you see?"  
  
"Draco is in the sky tonight, as well. North of the snakes tail."  
  
"Oh, yes! I can see it now!"  
  
"That's two for me, let's find one for you. How about Lyra? If we're lucky, we'll see the Lyrids while we're out here."  
  
"Astronomy was never my strong point, what are the Lyrids?"  
  
"A meteor shower that passes through the constellation Lyra," he told her.  
  
"Point it out to me."  
  
Draco dragged the bag he was leaning against over to Ginny. They sat shoulder to shoulder, now. Draco pointed up to the sky. "Follow my finger, I'm pointing right at it. See that constellation with the little star cluster? That's Lyra."  
  
"I can see it," she said quietly. "Draco, why Lyra? For me, I mean."  
  
Draco settled back against his backpack, leaving his arm around Ginny. "The Lyrids can been seen in the sky only once a year, usually for a two week time period. Towards the end of the shower, the meteors turn a fiery red colour that reminds me of a certain red-head I know."  
  
Ginny smiled. Her face was bathed in the light from the fire. "And who would that be?"  
  
"I'm sure you know her. She's a wonderful woman who happens to be sitting right beside me."  
  
Ginny felt her cheeks reddening and was grateful that it was too dark for Draco to see that he had made her blush.  
  
"Ginny?" Draco asked, his voice but a whisper.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I'm going to kiss you now."  
  
"You're going to wha-"  
  
Her protest was cut short when he placed his lips on hers. His lips were gentle and he kissed her softly, not wanting to scare her away. When she didn't hit him, he moved in closer, one hand resting on Ginny's cheek. Her lips parted slightly and he slid his tongue over Ginny's, still waiting for the inevitable slap. But this time she did not push him away.  
  
Ginny twined her arms around his neck and tilted her head, deepening the kiss. She had decided that she quite liked kissing Draco Malfoy. He was nothing like Hugh whose kisses were utilitarian in nature, a means to an end. And they never, never, made her feel as if her entire body was on fire.  
  
Draco ended the kiss, much to Ginny's dismay. He was smiling at her when he pulled away. Ginny liked the way the firelight flickered on his face and how the dancing orange-red flames of the fire were reflected in his hair.  
  
"We'd best get to bed," he told her quietly. "We've got a busy few days ahead of us." Draco kissed Ginny on the forehead before standing up. He held out a hand to her and pulled her up into his arms. "I think we are really close to finding your brother, you know...Shh, no, don't talk. Just let me speak. I hope that we can still be friends when this is all over. I know that under normal circumstances, we would never have even talked to one another, let alone haul off on an adventure to Mesopotamia and Algeria but..."  
  
"There's no need to explain it, Draco," she said. "I know exactly what you mean."  
  
For a moment their eyes met and Draco felt as if he had been hit by lightning. The hair on his arms was standing straight up, it was hard for him to breathe, and his heart was somehow crammed in his head and still pounding.  
  
Great Merlin! He was in love with Ginny Weasley.

* * *

Draco woke alone in the tent. He vaguely remembered some sleepy moments of laying in bed with Ginny curled up beside him but when he reached out for her, he found her side of the makeshift bed empty. He thought back to the events of last night and how he'd almost confessed everything to Ginny.  
  
Not just that he loved her, but about everything. Ea Nasir, the true meaning of the tablet, the Staff, her brother. _Everything._  
  
_I can't think about that now_, he thought to himself. _I have to focus on finding Bill. Then, when we get back, I can sit Ginny down and explain everything to her.  
_  
He found Ginny walking along the shoreline and joined her there. They walked hand in hand for while, in silence, staring out at the deep turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea.  
  
Breakfast was a casual affair. Tea, toast, some fruit that Uncle Algie sent along. Once they were done eating, they set out to explore.  
  
They were camped out in the center of an ancient city once knows as Ras Shamra. It was built on a man-made mound within walking distance of the sea. One large building remained standing, the rest of the walls consisted of piles of rubble, or a few crumbling blocks of stone. The protective magic that once kept the city in perfect condition had long since started to fade.  
  
The amber tablet had told them everything they needed to know. They had the incantation already and, as instructed by the tablet, had to wait until the day before the full moon to chant it. That was in two evenings time. They had until then to find South Palace, inside which they would find a shrine.  
  
Draco and Ginny found the South Palace on the first day. For a millenniums old building, it was in remarkably good condition. Draco would only let Ginny explore the five upper levels on her own, and would not let her into the lower levels, of which there were three, until he had checked them out himself, wand at the ready.  
  
The walls were covered in the same Akkadian script that decorated the tablet. Draco spent most of his time making notes and writing down translations. Ginny occupied her time sketching all that she could see. Some of the artwork inscribed on the stonewalls was awe-inspiring and she had in mind a Syrian line of jewelry based on the vivid imagery she was sketching.  
  
On the second day they found the shrine on the uppermost level of the South Palace. It stood in the center of many-windowed room. Unlike the rest of the palace, no carvings or inscriptions decorated the walls or stone floor.  
  
"It's just a lump or rock, Draco. I was...well, I was expecting a bit more then this. Look how beautiful the rest of the palace is, and even after thousands of years!"  
  
"Appearances can be deceiving, Gin. Look at all these windows. You can see for miles around from up here. Perhaps they didn't decorate because it would detract from the view. Look," he pointed out the window at the artificial hill they were camped on, "there's our tent." Draco looked up at the sun and was surprised to see it making its way towards the horizon. "Come on, it's late. We've been out here longer then we thought. Tomorrow is the big day; we should go back to camp and make sure we have everything ready."

* * *

The moon shone brightly in the navy, night sky. It was but a sliver away from being full. Draco and Ginny walked hand in hand through the upper levels of the South Palace. The amber tablet was stowed safely away in the backpack Draco wore. There were no sounds to be heard that night, beyond the gentle crashing of the waves against the shore. Ginny was too nervous to speak and for once in his life, Draco didn't know what to say.  
  
Ginny entered the shrine room first and gasped at what was before her eyes. "Draco, look!" she cried out.  
  
What was once boring and made of plain stone was now shimmering and silver. The moonlight played over the once-stone walls and revealed a mosaic that they did not see on their earlier visits. Gods and Goddesses decorated the walls; appearing so vivid it was if they were real. The shrine itself was pulsing and glowing silver. Cuneiform carvings that flowed like liquid shadow now adorned it.  
  
Ginny reached out to touch the dancing letters...her fingertips barely brushing the top of the shrine.  
  
There was a flash of burning, silver light. Ginny screamed and Draco cried out for her.  
  
When Draco could see again, Ginny was gone.

* * *

**Author Notes:**  
So both my beta's are on summer vacation! How's that for timing:) They haul off to enjoy the summer and I finally get my muse back.  
  
Murphy's Law!!  
  
Hope y'all are having a good weekend:) 


	19. The Lost Island of Atlantis

**The Curse-breaker's Sister  
Chapter 18**  
  
"GINNY!" Draco called out. He reached out for her, the fabric of her robe teasing his fingers before disappearing completely. "Ginny! Where are you?!"  
  
He looked around frantically, calling out her name. But there was nothing. No answer. No Ginny.  
  
"Bloody hell, where can she be."  
  
Fear and anger coursed through his veins, but as a Malfoy, he was trained to push fear aside and let the anger take over. He lashed out physically kicked the shrine.  
  
For a moment a flash of silver light blinded him once more, and when he could see again, he was standing beside Ginny. He reached out and hugged her tightly.  
  
"Where are we?" he asked, his face buried in her hair.  
  
"I think we're standing over the sea," she told him.  
  
They were standing on a circular stone balcony that hovered a few feet over the Mediterranean. The shoreline was hundreds of feet away and there was nothing between them and it but waves and water.  
  
"What the bloody hell are we supposed to do now?" he asked angrily.  
  
"We say the incantation."  
  
"What?" Draco was confused.  
  
"Turn around and look behind you. There's a podium there," she told him as he did as she told him too, "and it has the same writing on it as the tablet. I think this is where we say the incantation."  
  
Draco took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. The fear that had inhabited his body when he thought he'd lost Ginny was finally seeping out of his system and the anger at not knowing where they were was fading away as well.  
  
"Are you ready?" he asked, looking deep into her eyes.  
  
Ginny nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."  
  
"Let's do it, then."  
  
Draco examined the podium for a moment and then took the amber tablet out of his backpack. He placed it gently into an indentation on upper surface. A loud hissing noise filled the air and Draco and Ginny watched in amazement as the surface of the golden stone began to bubble and boil. A few minutes past and the hissing stopped. The stone began to rise on it's own and then popped out of the indentation.  
  
"I'm not sure what that was all about," Draco said truthfully. "But I think we're okay to say the incantation now. I think the tablet was some sort of key. The raised cuneiform on the podium slotted right into the carved out cuneiform on the tablet."  
  
"It's so much easier to just knock on somebody's door," Ginny said with a grin. "This is it."  
  
Earlier in the evening they had fought over who would say the incantation. Ginny demanded the right to say it because it was her brother they were rescuing. Draco refused to let her do it in case it was dangerous and Ginny got hurt. Not once during his home life, his years at Hogwarts or even during the Second War had he ever argued with somebody as stubborn as Ginny Weasley.  
  
In the end they decided they'd both say it.  
  
Ginny grabbed Draco's hand, locking their fingers together tightly. She gave his hand a quick squeeze. That was the signal to start chanting.  
  
Hear my cries, Ningal, moon goddess. Hear my prayers, Sîn, god of the moon. Give me that which I desire, Mot and Anat. By your powers combined, I command Atlantis to rise from the sea!  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
"Do you think we should say it again?" Ginny whispered.  
  
"I don't think we need to, Ginny! Look!"  
  
A pointed metal stick was raising out of the water not five feet away from them. After a few moments past, a conical shaped roof appeared, and then a circular stone tower. Ginny spun around in a circle calling out at every new discovery she made. All around them, a stone city was rising out of the depths of the ocean, water dripping off of every wall.  
  
"It's Atlantis!" she cried out. "We did it!"  
  
The last part of the city to rise was a two feet wide strip of stone that attached the city to the chunk of rock Ginny and Draco were standing on. Once the stones connected, the railing that once surrounded them disappeared and Draco and Ginny were free to step onto Atlantis.  
  
Ginny looked around the courtyard they were standing it. They seemed to be at the center of the city. The buildings dried surprisingly fast. They were no longer wet with seawater, though a green, seaweed like substance clung to the ground, growing up between the cobblestones like moss. She walked quickly into the city, but Draco grabbed her arm to slow her down.  
  
"We don't know what this place is like," he told her. "We have to be careful, go slowly."  
  
"But Draco, Bill! He's here! I just know it. We've waited all this time and now we're here and I don't think I can go slowly."  
  
Draco could feel her excitement and anticipation. "I know, Gin, but I don't want you getting hurt. Hey, who's that? Bill??" He was calling out to somebody walking in the shadows.  
  
Ginny spun around and looked at whom Draco was pointing at.  
  
"Bill?" she called out, hope, and excitement adding an edge of urgency to her voice.  
  
The figure did not answer. He did not seem to see them at all as he walked through the shadows. Draco and Ginny watched as he magically lit the torches and then moved on.  
  
Draco looked down at Ginny and could see the disappointment on her face. "Come on, Gin, you didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" he said lightly, trying to make her smile.  
  
"You're right, Draco. It wouldn't be that easy. I didn't really expect Bill to just...walk about and be waiting for us. But where do we begin!" Her tone of voice contained a hint of panic.  
  
"Well, I don't know about you but we Malfoy's always keep our prisoners in the dungeon. I'm kidding, Ginny!" he added hastily at the shocked look on her face. "We don't really keep prisoners. I'm just saying, we should probably look for stairs or something that goes down."  
  
"Good idea. I'll take this half of the city and you can take-"  
  
"No way. We are not splitting up. Wherever you go, I go."  
  
"Draco, if we split up, we will find Bill faster. If one of us finds something, they can send up sparks with their wand."  
  
"Ginny, no."  
  
"Ugh! You are worse then Ron, Draco!"  
  
"I might not like your brother but I think if he were here, he'd agree with me, Ginny. We go together or we don't' go at all. Now, do you really want to stand here arguing with me all night or do you want to go find Bill."  
  
Ginny said nothing, just stared at him angrily.  
  
"That's what I thought," he said, as if she'd replied something. "Let's go."  
  
He walked away and did not turn around to see if she was following.  
  
The searched the entire city finding nothing but a staircase leading down. Even though the buildings rose above them in the sky, they found no steps leading upward.  
  
"Down it is, then," Draco said to Ginny. "Ready?" Ginny didn't answer; instead, she pushed past Draco and walked down the stairs. At the bottom of the steps Ginny made a sharp left and turn and found herself in an empty hallway. It was lit with torches that burned with a green flame. From where she was standing she counted ten doorways on either side of the corridor.  
  
"Don't do that too me, Ginny!" It was Draco, who had finally caught up with her. "I don't want to lose you again."  
  
It was the concerned tone of Draco's voice that made her soften and forgive him for walking away earlier. "I'm sorry, Draco," she whispered. "I just really want to find Bill and I'm so caught up in that, I'm forgetting to be careful. Thank goodness I brought you along to keep me out of trouble!" she added, looking up into his grey eyes.  
  
"Exactly! Though I'm sure Ron wouldn't see it that way. Come on; let's check these rooms out. Wand ready?"  
  
There was no way to tell the passing of time in the underground corridor. They checked room after empty room and found nothing. No sign of Bill and no sign of life.  
  
"Draco, look at this!" Ginny called out. "I found something!"  
  
"Bill?" Draco called back to her.  
  
"No, not Bill, just some treasure."  
  
"Just some treasure" turned out to be a room full of golden coins, piles of gems, velvet covered chairs, and a tiara placed carefully on a marble bust. Ginny reached out for it...  
  
"Ginny, don't!" Draco yelled.  
  
Startled, Ginny spun around and just missed touching the golden tiara. "What? I wasn't going to take it, I only wanted to try it on."  
  
"Remember what happened the last time you touched something? You disappeared right in front of my eyes. Unless it's your brother, I suggest we don't touch anything."  
  
"Good thinking. Come on then, I have to get out of this room. The more I look at that tiara, the more I want to put it on."  
  
They continued their exploration of the lower level stopping in front of the last unopened door.  
  
"This is it," said Ginny with a sense of finality.  
  
"It's got to be this door," said Draco. If it isn't, he thought to himself, they were done for. Bill had to be here. "Do you want to open the door or shall I?"  
  
"I'll do it," said Ginny. "He is after all my brother." She reached out for the doorknob but stopped and clutched her hip.  
  
"What's wrong?" Draco asked in a panicked voice.  
  
Ginny looked puzzled. "My hip, it feels like it's burning!"

* * *

**Author Notes:**  
I am a slacker and I know it.  
I found me a beta, though, so not all is lost! 

PS. Anyone have much success using FireFox (web browser) with FF.net?! I'm having all sorts of wonky issues and it's driving me crazy!!!


	20. Kill the Beast

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter characters belong to JKRowling, I am just taking them out to play for a while and promise to put them back nicely when I'm done.

**The Curse-breaker's Sister  
Chapter 19**

Any minute now Ginny expected flames to spit out of her pocket. She wondered if she'd been wearing these trousers the last time she was with Fred and George and they'd put some sort of delayed-reaction prank in her pocket.

Squirming, she tried to dig whatever it was out of her pocket, but it was too hot. Draco, realizing what she was trying to do, reached in himself and pulled out a palm-sized, gold compact and quickly dropped it on the floor.

"What is that thing?" he asked, clutching his burned hand to his chest.

"Oh no!" Ginny cried out. "It's Ron!"

"That thing is your brother?" The look on Draco's face was almost comical.

"No, no," Ginny replied. "It's how we communicate when we can't be together, with mirrors. Only Ron would be cheeky enough to make it burn that hot."

She picked the compact up off the ground, gingerly passing it back and forth between her hands until it cooled down enough to open it. With a practiced hand, she flipped the compact open and watched as Ron's livid, red face filled the surface of the mirror.

"Ginny, where in the bloody hell are you!" Despite the fact that he was thousands of miles away, the anger in her brother's voice still caused her to flinch. "Mum's going out of her mind looking for you, do you know that! It's not enough that Bill is missing, but bloody hell, Ginny! She's just flooed me to tell me that your hand on the clock reads 'Mortal Peril' and Dad's on his way home from work!"

"I'm really busy right now, Ron, can we talk about this later?"

"No we can not talk about this later!"

"Ron, will you calm down! If you must know, I'm about to rescue Bill, I'll contact you when I've found him."

"You're WHAT!" Ron's face in the mirror turned a shade of red Ginny once thought was not humanly possible. "Where are you? I'm coming to get you right now. I can't believe you, Ginny! I told you to stay put!"

"Oh do shut up, Ronald! I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself and you bloody well know that! When will you people accept that I am an adult!"

Ron snorted. "Sure, Gin, sure! Haring off to Merlin-Knows-Where looking for Bill. Really bloody mature of you, Ginny! Now tell me where you are so I can come and get you."

"I'm not telling you, Ron. I've made it this far on my own," Draco gave her a sharp look when she said this, "well, not entirely on my own, I've had help."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "You've had help? Hermione's sat right beside me, and Harry's in Paris. Who'd you call on to help, Neville Longbottom?"

"If you must know," Ginny told him a sarcastic tone, "I've been working with Draco Malfoy. And we've almost found Bill, so stop your bloody shouting, and let me go and rescue him!"

Ron's face paled, his freckles standing out in sharp contrast to his now pasty-white face. "Ginny, you little fool. Why didn't you just stay at home like I told you too! I suppose this is as good a time as any to tell you that DRACO MALFOY is responsible for Bill's disappearance! The Ministry of Magic's been after him for weeks! They think he's the one who's hurt Bill and stole the treasure he was after. Not only has the Ministry been after him, but Bill's boss, some Nasir guy's been after him too! And there you are in bloody Merlin knows where with Draco bloody Malfoy! Ginny!"

"Are you telling me the truth, Ron?" Ginny asked in a steady, careful voice.

"I wouldn't joke about Bill, Gin, and you know it. Malfoy was hired to act as a go-between for Bill and this Ea Nasir guy. One night, Bill, the treasure, and Malfoy went missing. You put the pieces together."

"Thank you, Ron." Ginny's voice was calm, and cool. " I have to go now. I'll contact you soon."

Ginny closed the compact and slid it back into her pocket. It took a few moments for Ron's words to set in. Draco had been in contact with Bill the night he went missing. Draco knew Bill's boss. And all along he'd said nothing! No wonder he was so eager to help her find Bill, it was so he could clear his own name! Or maybe make sure that the truth about what happened never came out.

She fixed Draco with a stony glare. "Is it true?"

"Well, not entirely."

"Not. Entirely?"

"Well, it's true that the treasure is missing and the Ministry is after me…"

"Why didn't you TELL me! I can't believe I've been…been...working with you, been friendly with you and you never said anything. How dare you take advantage of me like that!"

"Ginny please," Draco said, reaching out for her, "let me explain! It's not what you think!"

She batted his hands away from her and stood facing him, arms crossed over her chest, the angry glare still set in her eyes. "And what is it that I'm thinking, Malfoy?"

"Merlin, Ginny! I don't know! Just let me explain. It's not at all like Ron said. I got the staff from Bill, we met at a pub in Ur and then that night-"

"I don't want to hear it, Malfoy! We're wasting time. We've got to find Bill, we can argue about this later." Ginny struggled with herself and managed to resist the urge to stomp her feet and stalk off like she did when she was younger.

Draco grabbed Ginny by the wrist and pulled her too him before she could get away. "Listen to me, Ginny, if I had told you the truth when you first hired me, if I had told you that I might have had something to do with Bills disappearance, would you have still hired me?"

Ginny sighed angrily and tried to step out of Draco's arms, but he was stronger then her and wouldn't let her go.

"Answer me, Ginny. Would you have still hired me if you knew that I was connected to Bill's disappearance?"

"No." Her voice was cold and unfeeling, but she spoke the truth.

"And would you be right here, right now, about to find Bill?"

"No."

"Exactly." Draco began to say something else, but Ginny yelled at him to shut up.

Draco was about to argue with her, but realized she was trying to listen for something. He paused for a minute; not moving, not speaking, and Ginny did the same.

Bill's voice could be heard, rising above the stifling silence encompassing them.

"Bill!" Ginny screamed loudly, her argument with Draco forgotten. "Bill can you hear me!"

Ginny ran down a dark stairway towards the sound of Bill's voice. Draco ran after her, his long legs allowing him to catch up to her easily. At the bottom of the steps was another very long corridor but unlike the hallways upstairs, there were no doors. The corridor widened at the end and opened into a dungeon. Draco could see wraithlike men chained to the wall. And there, in the corner, recognizable only by his shock of red hair, was Bill.

"Bill! Oh, Merlin! Bill!" Ginny ran over to him and hugged him tightly. "Bill, I was so worried."

Draco gave them a moment alone together. He turned to look at the other men in the room. None of them seemed to pay them any mind. A few looked up at him with madness in their eyes, most just stared at him blankly. A minute passed, then another. Finally, he approached Ginny and Bill.

"Draco," Bill said weakly. Ginny was surprised that Bill used Draco's first name.

"Hey, Bill. You were looking a lot better the last time I saw you," Draco kept his tone light. He was trying not to let his shock at Bill's current state come through in his voice.

Bill was emaciated. His cheeks were gaunt, almost skeletal and the skin around his eyes was a sick shade of purple. In between trying to talk to Ginny, he kept coughing, a dry hacking cough that caused his entire body to convulse, and Ginny to flinch each time his body spasmed.

"Let's get you out of here," Draco said firmly. One look at Ginny told him that she was about to loose her cool, Bill was in no state to take charge.

Ginny tried to hex the chains that held Bill to the wall away but her hands were shaky. Draco took her by the shoulders and led her away. "Ginny, you're shaking. Let me do this."

Ginny was too emotionally drained to argue. She stepped back and watched as Draco tried first one spell, and then another to remove the chains. Finally on the third spell, a particularly nasty severing Charm Ginny remembered seeing used during the war, Bill was free. He tried to stand up, but fell down almost immediately. Ginny dove to catch him, but Draco was closer, and after a minute, Bill was standing up once more, leaning heavily on Draco.

"Let's get out of here," Ginny whispered. "Draco, can you Apparate with him?"

Inwardly, Draco sighed with relief. Ginny was calling him Draco again, and not Malfoy. "I can handle it," he said out loud. "Are you okay to Apparate?"

Ginny nodded.

"Wait…" Bill croaked, his voice hoarse from screaming. "Nasir."

"What about that old bat?" Draco asked. "It's his fault we're all here."

"No," Bill shook his head. "He's here…too…in the…corner." It was getting harder and harder for him to talk. The weeks of torture and lack of food were catching up with him.

Ginny looked at the man chained to the wall in the corner. His skin was dull, wrinkly, and yellow and he did not look up when she called out to him.

"He's not talked in days, doesn't even scream anymore," Bill said quietly. "We need to…bring him…"

"Bill! Let's get you to safety, first. Then we'll come back for him."

"No, Ginny," Draco said forcefully. "Bill is right. We need to bring him with us now, and figure out what happened to the Staff."

"The staff is no concern of yours, foolish mortal."

Ginny whipped around at the sound of a new voice. There, in the opening to the dungeon stood a tall, dark haired woman. Her dress – what there was of it, involved strips of fabric that barely managed to cover her breasts. Ginny's eyes were drawn to a heavily inked tattoo on the woman's chest. The symbols on it were familiar. Ginny recognized them from the palace she'd been exploring the past few days.

"What are you staring at, little girl? Do you not know who I am?"

"Ginny, RUN!" Bill bellowed.

"Silence!" Lamaštu shouted. Her voice echoed throughout the dungeon.

Somehow Draco managed to drag Bill over to Ginny. He kept one arm around Bill's shoulders and with the other arm, grabbed Ginny around the waist. He was going to Apparate them all out of there. Nasir was on his own.

Unfortunately for them all, it didn't work.

Lamaštu laughed at him, a husky, low laugh that under other circumstances, would have intrigued – and even excited – Draco.

"Foolish boy, do you think I would let you get away so easily? You who stole my staff and dared to take away my power!"

Lamaštu stretched out a long, taloned finger and pointed it at Bill. Ginny watched in horror as the demoness slowly raised her arm, her brother raising up off the floor in unison with her movements. Her efforts to keep him anchored to the ground were futile.

Bill rose several feet off the ground, and his skin began to glow a pale, unearthly green. His mouth was open, but no screams could be heard. Soon Bill hovered below the ceiling, and the greenish grow extended from his body and into a thin line that jutted out of his heart and connected to tip of Lamaštu's finger.

A smug grin spread across Lamaštu's face. Every pain induced movement Bill made sent a shiver of pleasure through her body. A crook of her taloned finger had Bill screaming in agony, a scream so awful it sent pangs of terror through Ginny's heart. Without thinking, she tore herself away from Draco, and leapt in front of Lamaštu. Her body intercepted the thin line of ancient magic connecting Bill to Lamaštu, and instantly Bill fell to the ground, his screams turned to whimpers.

Lamaštu howled in anger. How dare this red-headed snippet take her prize! She reached out with her magic, prepared to destroy Ginny once and for all and found herself powerless. Something was taking away her power! And it was the girl!

Ginny wasn't sure what was happening. She had braced herself for pain, but felt nothing, despite the fact that the edgy, green line of magic that had harmed Bill, was now aimed directly at her chest. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute, and Lamaštu's howls drowned out the sounds of her brother, and Draco. She could see their mouths moving but no sound reached her ears.

Turning away from them, she looked at Lamaštu once more, crying out in surprise when their eyes met. The beautiful, scantily clad woman from earlier was gone, and in her place was an awful, winged monstrosity. Lamaštu's once finely shaped head was replaced with that of a lion, and it was roaring in anger at Ginny. Her naked body was spattered with old bloodstains, and one disproportioned arm clutched a piglet suckling at her breast.

From around her neck, Ginny's protective amulet began to pulse, expanding in size every time it throbbed against her chest. Every blast of magic thrown at her by Lamaštu was reflected by the amulet, and aimed back at the monstrous demon. Lamaštu screamed, a sound so high pitched that Draco and Bill clutched their ears, and turned away.

Failing to kill Ginny made Lamaštu very angry. As her anger increased, so did the curses and hexes she launched at Ginny. None of them, worked though. No matter what she did, the magic was tossed back at her, exploding in her face. With an angry snarl, Lamaštu leapt across the room. If magic wouldn't kill this red-headed irritant, than she would kill her with her bare hands.

No sooner did her hands touch the skin on Ginny's neck than they started to burn. Lamaštu screamed, but didn't let the pain stop her from choking Ginny. Moments dragged on like hours. The skin on Lamaštu's hands started to crackle, but still she held on. Ginny tried to breathe, but couldn't. Just when she thought she was about to pass out, the grip on her neck relaxed. Lamaštu's body rocketed away from her, slamming into a concrete pillar before sliding to the ground.

Ginny stumbled forward before collapsing herself. Whatever magic Lamaštu used to hold Bill and Draco in place dissipated and Draco rushed toward Ginny, as fast as he could while holding onto Bill. Both of them knelt at her side.

"Is she…dead?" Ginny managed to whisper, her throat hoarse from being choked.

"Stay here," Draco said firmly, fixing first Ginny, and than Bill with what Ginny would remember later as a very parental glare. "I'll find out."


End file.
